Good Morning POU! We enter the era where Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe dominate.
1956
Althea Gibson wins the French Championships women’s singles tournament, becoming the first African-American to win a Grand Slam title. She also left the French Championships with the women’s doubles title. Gibson’s success continued into the women’s doubles final at Wimbledon, as well, where she left London victorious.
Althea Gibson walks through a cheering crowd while preparing to play in the 1957 Wimbledon Tournament.
1957
Althea Gibson becomes the first black to win a major U.S. tennis championship when she defeats Darlene Hard in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, to capture the U.S. Clay Court singles title in River Forest, Illinois. The match lasted only 47 minutes.
Later that year, Gibson wins the U.S. National Championships (now known as the US Open), becoming the first African-American to do so. Gibson was also the first African-American to play in the Australian Open championship, although she lost to Shirley Fry in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. This would be the only Grand Slam championship she would not win in singles. However, Gibson would win the Australian Open women’s doubles championship in 1957.
Gibson lost the U.S. National Championships women’s doubles championship. That was the only doubles Grand Slam title she didn’t win. She won the mixed doubles championship.
For her wins in the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. National Championships, Althea Gibson was named the Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year.
1958
Althea Gibson repeats as both U.S. National and Wimbledon champion. For a third consecutive year, Gibson wins the women’s doubles title match at Wimbledon. She also repeats as the AP Woman Athlete of the Year. It’s during this year that she also announces her retirement from amateur tennis.
1959
Bob Ryland breaks the color barrier for black men, participating in Jack Marsh’s World Pro Championships in Cleveland and thus becoming the first African-American male tennis professional.
1960
Arthur Ashe Jr. wins the National Indoor Junior Tennis Championship.
1961
Arthur Ashe Jr. continues that momentum by repeating as the National Indoor Junior Tennis champion and also winning the USTA Interscholastic Singles Championship.
1963
The Davis Cup team welcomes Arthur Ashe Jr., and he becomes the first African-American to make the unit. He wins the U.S. Hard Court Championships.
1964
Playing in the U.S. Nationals at Forest Hills, New York, at age 15, Lenward Simpson becomes the youngest male to do so.
1965
While attending UCLA, Arthur Ashe Jr. wins the NCAA singles championship and doubles championship with Ian Crookenden.
1967
Arthur Ashe Jr. takes home the U.S. Clay Court Championship and the U.S. Indoor Doubles with teammate Charlie Pasarell.
1968
Arthur Ashe Jr. becomes the first (and remains the only) black man to win the US Open. It was the first US Open in the Open era. That same year, Ashe defeated Davis Cup teammate Bob Lutz to win the U.S. Amateur Championships. To this day, he remains the only player to win the amateur and national championships in the same year.
1970
Arthur Ashe Jr. becomes the first (and is still the only) black man to win the Australian Open.
Juan Farrow wins the U.S. Boys’ 12 Singles Championship and also wins the doubles title with teammate Lawrence “Chip” Hooper.
1971
Arthur Ashe Jr. teams up with Marty Riessen to win the French Open men’s doubles title.
That same year, Althea Gibson is elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.