Who is Althea Gibson, "the most important pioneer for tennis", according to Serena Williams?

Speaking in an interview with wtatennis.com a couple of years ago, Serena Williams referred to Althea Gibson as "the most important pioneer" tennis has ever had. The American opined that Gibson was the one who had "opened the doors" for future generations of African-American players to pick up a tennis racquet.

"For me, she was the most important pioneer for tennis. She was Black, she looked like me and she opened up so many doors," Williams said. "She is one of the most important players to play [tennis]."

Billie Jean King, arguably one of the most popular tennis players across generations, echoed the same sentiment. The 12-time Grand Slam singles champion hailed Gibson's perseverance, saying that anyone who knew what she had achieved over the course of her life would be compelled to "do great things with their lives."

"What people have to understand is how she persevered and what she means to our sport," King said. "If people really learn her story, believe me, it will inspire them to do great things with their lives."

So who is Althea Gibson? Here's everything you need to know about the 11-time Grand Slam champion who has served as a source of motivation for some of the greatest tennis players of all time:

Althea Gibson was the first African-American player to win a Grand Slam

After intense lobbying by the American Tennis Association (ATA), the oldest African-American sports organization in the United States, Althea Gibson was invited to play at the 1950 US Open (then called the United States National Championships). In doing so, she became the first Black player ever to play in the tournament.

Gibson lost in the second round against the reigning Wimbledon Champion, Louise Brough. The very next year, she was invited by the All England Club to take part in the Wimbledon Championships, where she reached as far as the third round. The American reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows in 1953 for the first time.

In 1956, Gibson made her debut at Roland Garros and stunned the world by going on to win the tournament. As the third seed, she defeated top seed Angela Mortimer in the final to become the first African-American to win a Grand Slam. She also won the doubles event alongside Angela Buxton, and the pair went on to win the title at SW19 as well.

The following year, Althea Gibson won both the Wimbledon and US Open, the first African-American to win both tournaments. She defended both titles in 1958. The Associated Press honored Gibson by naming her the "Female Athlete of the Year" in both years.

The American also became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine. Before she retired from amateur tennis in 1958, Gibson had amassed 56 national and international titles (five singles Majors, five doubles Majors and one mixed doubles Major).

Althea Gibson's professional career and legacy

The Althea Gibson statue unveiled in Flushing Meadows

Before the advent of the Open Era, players did not receive any prize money since they were considered "amateurs" who played the sport as a hobby. Struggling to make ends meet, Althea Gibson turned professional and decided to make a living by participating in various exhibition tournaments.

But for the most part, she did not enjoy the same success as some of her white counterparts because of racial discrimination. Even the All England Club refused to grant her a membership, despite being a multiple champion.

In 1964, Gibson became the first Black woman to join the Ladies' Professional Golfers Association (LPGA). She was reasonably successful in her golfing career, reaching a career-high ranking of 27 (in 1966) before calling it a day in 1978. The 11-time Grand Slam champion passed away in 2003, at the age of 76.

Althea Gibson has been inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame as well as the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. She was also on the list of "100 Greatest Female Athletes" published by Sports Illustrated. In 2019, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) erected a statue of her in Flushing Meadows, only the second monument at the arena in honor of a champion.