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Althea Gibson shattered barriers in two professional sports, becoming the first Black woman to compete at the highest levels of tennis and later professional golf.

 

She broke through elite tennis in 1950 and went on to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, permanently changing the sport’s landscape.

 

Gibson later joined the LPGA Tour, becoming the first Black woman to compete in professional golf. Her dominance and determination created a foundation that transformed access and opportunity in elite women’s sports.