It’s the end of August, which means the U.S. Open is underway at the Bille Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, in New York. As the only Grand Slam tournament to be played every year since its inception, the U.S. Open retains a singular quality.
But it’s not merely the tournament's longevity that has cemented it as special over the years — it’s the players. As such, it’s important to revisit one of the most pioneering figures to grace the U.S. Open's grounds, the trailblazing Althea Gibson. Gibson made history in 1957 as the first Black American to win the U.S. Open title, paving the way for other standout Black U.S. female tennis players like the Williams sisters, Zina Garrison, Chanda Rubin and now younger stars such as Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, and Sloane Stephens.
