Inspiring Accomplishments

Althea Gibson breaks color barrier in 1950 at the US Nationals
For years, Gibson was the dominant player in the American Tennis Association, an all-Black organization. In order to increase the level of her competition though, Gibson would have to break down the color barrier that existed around the United States Lawn Tennis Association. She was denied entry into USLTA events on several occasions and as a result spent years lobbying her cause. Finally, on August 28, 1950, Althea Gibson played her first match at the U.S. Championships. She went on to win the event in 1957 and 1958.

Althea Gibson with friend, Alice Marble

Gibson wins first Grand Slam title
For the first five years after her initial entry into USLTA events, Gibson achieved little on-court success. That all changed in 1956. At the age of 28, Gibson became the first African-American woman to win a major singles title when she claimed the French Championships. With her first major championship secured, Gibson went on to win four more over the next two years (Wimbledon '57, '58; US Championships '57, '58).

Learn more about Althea Gibson

Arthur Ashe is amazing in 1968
In any year, Ashe's accomplishments in 1968 would have been considered historic - but achieving them in 1968 makes them even more extraordinary. He started by becoming the first African-American male to win a men's singles title at a Grand Slam when he won the first ever US Open men's singles championship. He then went on to lead the U.S. Davis Cup team to a resounding victory over Australia in the finals of the international competition. And he did this in a year that is commonly referred to as the most tumultuous in the history of our nation. Consider that Ashe's backdrop was a nation where race relations were hitting their most tense moments, the anti-war movement was moving into high gear, and all was underlined by the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Senator Robert Kennedy. In order to truly appreciate the courage Arthur Ashe had throughout his life, you must understand the courage he displayed in 1968.

Zina Garrison reaches Wimbledon final in 1990
The first African American woman to reach a Grand Slam final since legend Althea Gibson 32 years earlier. Garrison defeated Monica Seles, ending Seles’ 36-match winning streak, and Steffi Graf en route to the finals. She lost in the championship match to Martina Navratilova, 6-4, 6-1.

Washington gave an honorable performance at Wimbledon in 1996

MaliVai Washington reaches Wimbledon final in 1996
A young MaliVai Washington at age 6 watched Arthur Ashe become the only African-American man to win Wimbledon. In 1996, Washington graced the same court in the men’s final against Richard Krajicek. "I have a lot of support from the black community in the States and around the world,” said Washington, currently a tennis broadcaster for ESPN. “It's great when you can win because you're winning for yourself, and you're winning for those who are pulling for you. It's an honor to be the first black since Arthur to be in the final. I just hope I can spur more young blacks into playing the game."

Venus debut at the Open, reaches Open final 1997
Playing in her US Open debut at age 17, American Venus Williams reached the finals, becoming the first African American women’s finalist since Althea Gibson won the title in 1958. The youngster from Compton, California would lose to Martina Hingis 6-0, 6-4. Williams would go on to win the 2000 and 2001 US Open titles.

Serena Williams wins the US Open in 1999
On September 11, 1999, Serena became the first black woman to claim a Grand Slam singles title since Althea Gibson in 1958. After the match, she received a call from President Clinton and also spoke to the president's daughter, Chelsea. The next day, Serena and her sister Venus won the US Open doubles title.

Venus and Serena are clearly the class of women's tennis today

2000 is a golden year for Venus Williams
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Venus became the first woman ever to take home the Olympic gold medal in both singles and doubles tennis. She also became only the second player to win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Olympics in the same year (Steffi Graf accomplished the feat in 1988). The win at Wimbledon was the first for a black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958.

Venus and Serena Williams meet in prime time final in 2001
On September 8, 2001 in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Venus won her second consecutive U.S. Open title, beating sister Serena in the first women's final ever televised in prime time. The match, which drew 51% more viewers than the previous year’s final, was also the first Grand Slam final between siblings since the inaugural Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1884.

Haynes Has Banner Year in 2003
Compton, California’s Angela Haynes had a storybook year in 2003. The 19-year-old won her first pro singles championship as a qualifier at the $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in Houston and went on to reach finals in two other tournaments (El Paso, Dallas). She reached her first Challenger-level semifinal at the $25,000 event in Allentown, Pa., in June, then matched that result at the $75,000 event in Albuquerque, N.M., in September. Haynes, who was ranked No. 851 in the world at the end of 2002, finished 2003 ranked a career-high No. 184.

Perry Wins First Pro Titles
Shenay Perry, a 19-year-old from Coral Springs, Fla., won two $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit Challenger titles in 2003, capturing her first career pro championship in St. Paul, Minn., in February and her second in Los Gatos, Calif., in July. She also reached the final in Louisville, Ky., and semifinals in Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio. Perry is getting 2004 off on the right foot, as well. In one of the first WTA events of 2004, the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, she won three matches in qualifying and went on to win her first two main-draw matches against Virginia Ruano Pascual and Tathiana Garbin before losing in the quarterfinals to Marion Bartoli. She also qualified into the first Australian Open of her career but lost in the first round to 30th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.

Scott Oudsema and Phillip Simmonds of the USA celebrate their victory against Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau of Romania in the Australian Open boy's doubles final (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)© Mark Dadswell/Getty Images

Simmonds Makes History at 2003 Australian Open
Phillip Simmonds had his name etched in the tennis history books in 2003, when he and doubles partner Scott Oudsema became the first U.S. team ever to win the boys’ doubles championship at the Australian Open Junior Tennis Championships. Simmonds, from Reston, Va.,and Oudsema, from Kalamazoo, Mich., captured their first Grand Slam title by knocking off the world’s top-ranked team, Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau, 6-4, 6-4. The duo took over the world No. 1 ranking with their victory.

Jackson Posts Personal Best Result at Junior Grand Slam
Jamea Jackson of Bradenton, Fla., long considered one of the country’s top junior prospects, posted the best junior Grand Slam result of her career at the 2003 French Open, where she advanced to the quarterfinals of the girls’ doubles event. Other highlights of the 17-year-old’s career include reaching the doubles quarterfinals at the 2003 Orange Bowl, winning her first international title at the 2002 USTA International Winter Championships, capturing the doubles title at the 2002 LTA International Junior Tennis Championships – Roehampton, and reaching the doubles final and finishing in third place in singles at the 2002 USTA Super National Hard Court Championships.

Donald Young Jr. 2003 Boys 16 Orange Bowl Champion© Susan Mullane

Young Takes Home Orange Bowl Title
Fourteen-year-old Donald Young became the first American since Jim Courier to win the boys’ 16 singles title at the Orange Bowl International Championships, as well as the first African-American to win a singles title in the 57-year history of the event, outlasting Aljoscho Thron of Germany, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the final. The victory was just one of Young’s many successes in 2003. The Chicago native also swept the singles and doubles titles at Les Petits As and Teen Tennis, two of the most prestigious events in the world for players’ 14 and younger.

Young Makes History at Easter Bowl
In 2004, Donald Young continued to prove why he is one of the most highly touted junior players in the country. A native of Chicago and current resident of Atlanta, the young lefty made history at this year’s Easter Bowl, USTA National Spring Championships in April, when, at age 14, he became the youngest person ever to win the boys’ 18s title, after coming from behind to defeat top seed Daniel Yoo, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the final. The winner of the boys’ 14s Easter Bowl title in 2003, Young is also the first person in the 37-year history of the tournament to win the boys' 14 and 18 titles in back-to-back years.

Scoville Jenkins returns a shot to Andy Roddick during their first-round match at the US Open© Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Jenkins' Amazing Season
Scoville Jenkins will not soon forget the tremendous year he had in 2004. During the first half of the season, he posted a number of impressive results, including winning the singles title at the Astrid Bowl in Belgium and reaching the doubles semifinals and singles quarterfinals at the junior Australian Open. But things really started to kick off for the 18-year-old Atlanta native over the summer. Jenkins gave a career-best performance in Grand Slam play, advancing to the singles semifinals at the Wimbledon Junior Championships in July. A month later, he won the boys’ 18 singles title at the prestigious USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich., becoming the first African-American winner in the 89-year history of the event. By winning in Kalamazoo, Scoville received a wild card to compete in the men’s main draw at the US Open, and the 6’ 1” right-hander faced defending champion and No. 2 seed Andy Roddick in the opening round in a night match televised live from Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Neilly Wins Boys' 18 Orange Bowl Title
In the final ITF Grade A event of 2004, Timothy Neilly, 17, of Tampa, Fla., defeated Donald Young, 6-4, 7-5, to become the first African-American to win the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships Boys’ 18s singles title in the event’s 58-year history. Neilly and Young are also the first African-Americans to reach the Orange Bowl 18s final in the same year.

Perry Shines on USTA Pro Circuit
Shenay Perry, 20, was nearly unstoppable after the last week of September 2004, winning three singles titles – Pittsburgh, the week of Nov. 8; Cary, N.C., the week of Oct. 18; and Troy, Ala., the week of Sept. 27 – and going 17-2 during the stretch. With her impressive results, the 5’ 7” right-hander, who has now won a total of five USTA Circuit singles titles since turning pro in 2000, improved her ranking to a career-high 69th in the world.

Angela Haynes© Jonathan Wood/Getty Images

Haynes Breaks Through at 2004 US Open
Twenty-year-old lefty Angela Haynes gave an eye-opening performance at the 2004 US Open, where, as a wild card, she won her first career Grand Slam match against Tatiana Perebiynis in a third-set tie-break in the opening round. She then upset No. 22 seed Magdalena Maleeva in round two, before falling to No. 16 Francesca Schiavone in round three.

Young Wins Australian Open Boys' Title, Moves Up to No. 1 in World
Seeded No. 2 in the 2005 Australian Open Junior Championships, Donald Young defeated No. 1 Sun-Yong Kim of Korea, 6-2, 6-4, in the boys' singles final to become the youngest boy to win a junior Grand Slam title at the age of 15 years, 6 months and 7 days. With the victory, Young became the youngest boy in history to reach No. 1 in the ITF World Junior Rankings, as well as the first African-American boy to be ranked No. 1 in the world in singles.

Augustine, Muhammad Are Unbeatable at Les Petits As
Thirteen-year-olds Brittany Augustine of Sherman Oaks, Calif., and Asia Muhammad of Henderson, Nev., teamed together to win the doubles title at 2005 Les Petits As, the most prestigious event in the world for players aged 14 and under, held annually in Tarbes, France. The second-seeded duo did not drop a set in any of their matches until the final, where they defeated the French team of Gracia Radovanovic and Charlotte Rodier, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Serena Williams Wins Second Career Australian Open Title
The superstar captured the hearts of Melbourne Park with a triumphant trip Down Under, defeating fellow American Lindsay Davenport in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, to take the 2005 title. In the semifinals, Williams played a memorable match against Maria Sharapova, coming back from a set down to upset the Russian, 8-6, in the third set.

Venus Williams Captures Third Career Wimbledon Championship
Silencing her critics with a dream run at the All-England Club in 2005, the elder Williams sister won her first Grand Slam title since the 2001 US Open, marking the fifth major championship of her career. Venus upset top-seed Lindsay Davenport in the final, at two hours, forty-five minutes, the longest ladies' singles final in the history of the prestigious event.

James Blake plays a forehand during his second-round match against Alex Kuznetsov at the Australian Open© Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Blake's Career Year in 2006
James Blake compiled a career-best season in 2006, winning five ATP titles -- Sydney, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Bangkok and Stockholm -- and reaching eight finals, including the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup final in Shanghai, where he lost to Roger Federer. The popular American became the first African-American to rank in the top 10 since Arthur Ashe on Jan. 21, 1980, and went on to match Ashe’s career-best, year-end finish of No. 4 (in 1985). Blake also ended the year ranked as the No. 1 American for the first time in his career. In addition, he represented the United States in Davis Cup play and helped the U.S. team reach the semifinals before losing to Russia in Moscow. He surpassed $1 million in earnings in a season for the first time, with a career-best $1,894,295.

Jenkins, Simmonds Capture First Pro Titles
It didn't take long for rising young stars Scoville Jenkins and Phillip Simmonds to make their presence known on the USTA Pro Circuit. In January 2006, both players claimed their first pro titles -- Jenkins at the $10,000 Futures in Kissimmee, Fla., and Simmonds at the $10,000 Futures in Boca Raton, Fla.

Young Repeats as Singles Champion at USTA National Championships
Donald Young captured the singles titles at the 2006 USTA Boys’ 18 National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich., to become the 10th player in the 91-year history of the USTA Boys’ 18s to repeat as singles champion and the first since Phillip King in 1999-2000. Young did not drop a set en route to his 12th USTA national championship. He also partnered with Alexander Clayton of Bradenton, Fla., to win the doubles title. Earlier in the year, Young swept the singles and doubles title at the Easter Bowl.

Ahsha Rolle© Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Rolle Claims Two Titles on USTA Pro Circuit in 2006
Ahsha Rolle had a big year in 2006, capturing the singles title at the $75,000 USTA event in Albuquerque, N.M., and the doubles title at the $25,000 event in Redding, Calif. With these victories, Rolle now has tallied a total of five career USTA Circuit titles – three in singles and two in doubles. She finished 2006 ranked No. 140, a career best.

Serena Williams Wins 2007 Australian Open
In one of the most inspirational and gritty returns to prominence for an all-time great, Serena Williams crushed Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-2, to win her eighth Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open. Unseeded in the draw, Serena, who has now won three championships Down Under, knocked off six seeded players en route to the title, including No. 5 Nadia Petrova and No. 1 Sharapova. As a result of her triumph, Serena's ranking skyrocketed from No. 81 in the world to No. 14.

Blake Reaches Milestone 200 ATP Victories
Top-seeded James Blake reached 200 career ATP match victories at the 2007 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Scoville Jenkins. "It makes me feel old and with relative success, which is a good feeling,'' Blake told AP after the victory. "To win 200 matches means there's probably a few I've actually forgotten, which is something I never would have believed. It's nice to know I've beaten some quality players.''

Venus Williams Wins 4th Wimbledon title
Venus Williams won her fourth Wimbledon title in 2007, beating surprising finalist Marion Bartoli, 6-4, 6-1, for her sixth Grand Slam title. She also won Wimbledon in 2000, 2001 and 2005.

Young Captures Wimbledon Boys' Championship
Donald Young, one of the most talked about juniors in recent years, picked up his second junior Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 2007, joining an illustrious group of tennis greats, including Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Tracy Austin, Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer, Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo, who also triumphed at Wimbledon during their junior careers.

Blake Helps U.S. Team Win 2007 Davis Cup
In the 2007 Davis Cup final between the United States and Russia, Jame Blake came back from a set down to defeat Dmitry Tursunov, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, to earn his second point of the tie. On Day 1 of the competition, with the U.S. holding an early 1-0 lead, Blake won a pivotal point for his country, putting the Bryans in position to clinch. Overall, the United States defeated Russia, 4-1, in the best-of-five World Group series, winning the prestigious international team title for a record 32nd time.

Venus Defeats Serena To Capture Fifth Wimbledon Crown
Venus Williams defeated younger sister Serena 7-5, 6-4 for her fifth Wimbledon title and second in a row. Venus avenged two previous losses to her younger sibling in the final at the All England Club and reasserted her dominance on her favorite court and favorite grass surface. The Williams sisters also teamed together to take home the women's doubles title.

Serena Williams Claims 10th Grand Slam Title
Serena Williams defeated Dinara Safina, 6-0, 6-3, to win her 10th career Grand Slam title at the 2009 Australian Open. With the win, Williams became the fifth woman to win four or more Australian titles. By making the singles and doubles finals, she already had become the all-time leading money winner in women's sports.