Tennis fans, mark your calendars! The 2025 US Open is hitting new milestones. This year’s theme art will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking the color barrier. Jamaican-born artist Melissa Koby has been tapped to create a striking piece honoring Gibson’s legacy. Koby’s mixed‑media stencil and laser‑cut paper design features Gibson’s silhouette intertwined with New York iconography like the Statue of Liberty and Flushing Meadows’ iconic blue-green courts.

While speaking with 21Ninety, Koby shared what this project truly represents.

“I would love for people to like do their homework,” she said. “I think a lot of young people, especially even me, ’cause I was guilty of this, I would always just reference Venus and Serena Williams. I love Coco Gauff. But, you know, there would be no Williams sisters or no Coco without Althea. So just keep in the forefront or the back of your mind that she is really the blueprint.”

Koby emphasized that Gibson didn’t just open doors for modern tennis icons, she built the house.

“If you’re a lover of tennis or just a supporter of Black women being great in a sport or just in life, do your homework. Look at the people that came before us and really give them the flowers,” she shared.

The tribute will take center stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium on August 24, the opening Sunday of the US Open’s main draw. Imagine hundreds of thousands of fans walking beneath this art, feeling Gibson’s spirit in every serve and volley.

Who Was Althea Gibson?

Althea Gibson was a tennis player, but she was also a revolution in motion. Born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina, and raised in Harlem, New York, Gibson grew up in a time when the color of her skin determined where she could eat, live, and even play sports. Yet despite growing up in the thick of Jim Crow racism and poverty, she transformed the world of tennis, one historic match at a time.

Gibson’s journey to greatness started not on clay or grass courts, but in the streets. She began playing paddle tennis, a city-park version of the sport, on the sidewalks of Harlem. Her talent caught the eye of local leaders and educators, who pooled resources to give her formal tennis training. That’s when the doors of possibility cracked open.

In the 1940s, Gibson dominated the American Tennis Association (ATA). The ATA was an organization formed to provide Black athletes a place to compete when the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) excluded them. Her ATA success caught the attention of tennis great Alice Marble, who publicly advocated for Gibson’s inclusion in the U.S. Nationals (now the US Open). Thanks to that push, Gibson made history in 1950 by becoming the first Black player to compete at the Forest Hills club.

Grand Slam Glory

In 1956, she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam title at the French Open. But she wasn’t done. In 1957 and 1958, she won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (now the US Open) in singles and doubles. She was ranked world No. 1 and named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in both years. This feat made her a household name, even as she remained barred from many of the social privileges her white peers enjoyed.

Off the court, Gibson was as composed and striking as she was on it. At Wimbledon, she broke more than records. She broke royal traditions by being the first Black woman champion to be presented a trophy by Queen Elizabeth II.

Beyond Tennis: A Multi-Hyphenate Trailblazer

After retiring from amateur tennis in 1958 due to the lack of financial opportunities for women in the sport, Gibson pivoted to professional golf. In 1964, she became the first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. Although she didn’t dominate in golf the way she did in tennis, her presence was once again a bold stand in the face of discrimination. Many country clubs refused her entry even as she competed.

But Gibson’s talents didn’t stop at athletics. She was also an accomplished singer and published an autobiography titled “I Always Wanted to Be Somebody.” She even acted in the John Wayne film “The Horse Soldiers.” Later, she served as New Jersey’s athletic commissioner, worked in education, and led grassroots tennis programs to mentor Black youth.

Though the tennis world slowly shifted toward greater inclusion, it would take decades for Gibson to receive the flowers she truly deserved. In 2019, the US Open honored her with a permanent statue outside Arthur Ashe Stadium — fitting, considering she laid the foundation for Ashe, Venus, Serena, Coco, and many more. In 2025, she will be further immortalized as the face of the US Open’s official theme art, thanks to Melissa Koby’s powerful creation.

What happened to Althea Gibson?

After retiring from competitive golf in 1978, Gibson turned to acting (notably in “The Horse Soldiers”), volunteered for community tennis programs, and mentored young players. She passed away in 2003 in East Orange, New Jersey, at age 76.

Did Althea Gibson have any children?

No, Gibson did not have children. Her full focus was on her athletic achievements and pioneering community work.

Did Althea Gibson have a husband?

Yes, Althea Gibson was married twice. She first wed William Darben in 1965. They stayed together until their divorce in 1976. Later, in 1983, she married Sydney Llewellyn (her former tennis coach), though that marriage also ended in divorce in 1988

Frequently Asked Questions

What ethnicity is Althea?
Althea Gibson was African‑American, born in South Carolina in 1927. She rose to prominence during segregation in the US

How old was Althea Gibson when she won Wimbledon?
She won her first Wimbledon singles title in July 1957, shortly before turning 30.

Why did Althea Gibson retire?
After dominating tennis, she transitioned to professional golf and community outreach. By the late 1970s, age and persistent barriers prompted her retirement from professional golf.