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Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson
A compelling narrative of the trials and triumphs of tennis champion Althea Gibson, a key figure in the integration of American sports and, for a time, one of the most famous women in the world.
From her start playing paddle tennis on the streets of Harlem as a young teenager to her eleven Grand Slam tennis wins to her professional golf career, Althea Gibson became the most famous black sportswoman of the mid-twentieth century. In her unprecedented athletic career, she was the first African American to win titles at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
In this comprehensive biography, Ashley Brown narrates the public career and private struggles of Althea Gibson (1927-2003). Based on extensive archival work and oral histories, Serving Herself sets Gibson's life and choices against the backdrop of the Great Migration, Jim Crow racism, the integration of American sports, the civil rights movement, the Cold War, and second wave feminism. Throughout her life Gibson continuously negotiated the expectations of her supporters and adversaries, including her patrons in the black-led American Tennis Association, the white-led United States Lawn Tennis Association, and the media, particularly the Black press and community's expectations that she selflessly serve as a representative of her race. An incredibly talented, ultra-competitive, and not always likeable athlete, Gibson wanted to be treated as an individual first and foremost, not as a member of a specific race or gender. She was reluctant to speak openly about the indignities and
prejudices she navigated as an African American woman, though she faced numerous institutional and societal barriers in achieving her goals. She frequently bucked conventional norms of femininity and put her career ahead of romantic relationships, making her personal life the subject of constant scrutiny and rumors. Despite her major wins and international recognition, including a ticker tape parade in New York City and the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time, Gibson endeavored to find commercial sponsorship and permanent economic stability. Committed to self-sufficiency, she pivoted from the elite amateur tennis circuit to State Department-sponsored goodwill tours, attempts to find success as a singer and Hollywood actress, the professional golf circuit, a tour with the Harlem Globetrotters and her own professional tennis tour, coaching, teaching children at tennis clinics, and a stint as New Jersey Athletics Commissioner. As she struggled to support herself in old age, she was
left with disappointment, recounting her past achievements decades before female tennis players were able to garner substantial earnings.
A compelling life and times portrait, Serving Herself offers a revealing look at the rise and fall of a fiercely independent trailblazer who satisfied her own needs and simultaneously set a pathbreaking course for Black athletes.
From her start playing paddle tennis on the streets of Harlem as a young teenager to her eleven Grand Slam tennis wins to her professional golf career, Althea Gibson became the most famous black sportswoman of the mid-twentieth century. In her unprecedented athletic career, she was the first African American to win titles at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
In this comprehensive biography, Ashley Brown narrates the public career and private struggles of Althea Gibson (1927-2003). Based on extensive archival work and oral histories, Serving Herself sets Gibson's life and choices against the backdrop of the Great Migration, Jim Crow racism, the integration of American sports, the civil rights movement, the Cold War, and second wave feminism. Throughout her life Gibson continuously negotiated the expectations of her supporters and adversaries, including her patrons in the black-led American Tennis Association, the white-led United States Lawn Tennis Association, and the media, particularly the Black press and community's expectations that she selflessly serve as a representative of her race. An incredibly talented, ultra-competitive, and not always likeable athlete, Gibson wanted to be treated as an individual first and foremost, not as a member of a specific race or gender. She was reluctant to speak openly about the indignities and
prejudices she navigated as an African American woman, though she faced numerous institutional and societal barriers in achieving her goals. She frequently bucked conventional norms of femininity and put her career ahead of romantic relationships, making her personal life the subject of constant scrutiny and rumors. Despite her major wins and international recognition, including a ticker tape parade in New York City and the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time, Gibson endeavored to find commercial sponsorship and permanent economic stability. Committed to self-sufficiency, she pivoted from the elite amateur tennis circuit to State Department-sponsored goodwill tours, attempts to find success as a singer and Hollywood actress, the professional golf circuit, a tour with the Harlem Globetrotters and her own professional tennis tour, coaching, teaching children at tennis clinics, and a stint as New Jersey Athletics Commissioner. As she struggled to support herself in old age, she was
left with disappointment, recounting her past achievements decades before female tennis players were able to garner substantial earnings.
A compelling life and times portrait, Serving Herself offers a revealing look at the rise and fall of a fiercely independent trailblazer who satisfied her own needs and simultaneously set a pathbreaking course for Black athletes.
616 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2023
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1596 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 17, 2025
This was a hard book to read. We tend to idolize our heroes, and I did idolize Althea Gibson. I had no idea all that she suffered, or the many disappointments she held, largely because she was a trailblazer. I imagined she’d faced the inequities that come with being a Black woman, but I’d never considered what they might’ve been as an athlete, shattering expectations and norms and stomping over the color line. I also hadn’t thought about the enormous sexism she encountered. I was deeply upset by the way men in and out of the sports treated her.
By the time I was playing tennis, while not yet equal in pay, it got almost the same amount of press and prestige (unlike other professional sports where that feels so far away still). It saddened me greatly to learn how broke she was throughout her life despite all her many amazing accomplishments - not just in tennis, but in other sports provisionally and otherwise, like golf and basketball (did not know she played pro!!), and personally (pursuing acting and singing too). She wanted to have it all and had a deep conviction she deserved it all. She probably did, but she was met with too much resistance. She was born and lived and played too early to get the compensation and the accolades she earned. (Pretty sure she's super proud of the Williams sisters from her perch in the afterlife 😍.)
In the end, she is still one of my heroes that I idolize because she never backed down and always lived life the way she demanded to be treated. Still, it was hard to read not only because of all that happened to her or didn’t happen for her, but because it exposed some of her character flaws too (do we really want to know our hero’s shortcomings?). I realize I cannot possibly understand what life must’ve been like for her, so I’ll try to reserve judgment. She was a beautiful though frustrated soul, and without her, who knows how equitable tennis would be today.
By the time I was playing tennis, while not yet equal in pay, it got almost the same amount of press and prestige (unlike other professional sports where that feels so far away still). It saddened me greatly to learn how broke she was throughout her life despite all her many amazing accomplishments - not just in tennis, but in other sports provisionally and otherwise, like golf and basketball (did not know she played pro!!), and personally (pursuing acting and singing too). She wanted to have it all and had a deep conviction she deserved it all. She probably did, but she was met with too much resistance. She was born and lived and played too early to get the compensation and the accolades she earned. (Pretty sure she's super proud of the Williams sisters from her perch in the afterlife 😍.)
In the end, she is still one of my heroes that I idolize because she never backed down and always lived life the way she demanded to be treated. Still, it was hard to read not only because of all that happened to her or didn’t happen for her, but because it exposed some of her character flaws too (do we really want to know our hero’s shortcomings?). I realize I cannot possibly understand what life must’ve been like for her, so I’ll try to reserve judgment. She was a beautiful though frustrated soul, and without her, who knows how equitable tennis would be today.
May 27, 2023
(Audiobook) (4.5 stars) I had always heard the name Althea Gibson and knew that she at least won Wimbledon and the US Open. More than a few exhibitions in Harlem laud her achievements. Yet, there is so much to the story that I didn’t know until I read this book. She grew up in difficult circumstances, and perhaps it was only by chance that she moved into tennis that she didn’t end up down a darker, forgotten path of a lowly life plagued by racism and sexism. As it was, she didn’t have it easy. She had to overcome so many barriers and biases, and all of this while trying to do it on her terms, not necessarily how others thought she should act.
For a five-time Grand Slam winner, she can sometimes fall beneath the cracks of the greatest women players. That her greatest successes happened when the big tournaments only allowed amateurs to play is one reason. Race is another, and her accomplishments have been far outstripped by women who’ve won more on tour than she did. What is also remarkable is that she may have been one of the better athletes America produced. She tried her hand at golf, basketball, and other sporting events. Tennis was where she had her greatest success, but maybe under different circumstances, she could have achieved more.
Her non-conformity with the accepted norms (looking to get married, playing like a lady should in the 1950s/1960s) also dogged her career. As best we can tell, she was heterosexual, but so much speculation about her relationship status haunted her, unfairly. The author notes that perhaps she was a woman before her time. An Althea Gibson in her tennis prime when the women’s pro tour kicked off…that would have been something. One might argue that her serve would translate very well in the modern game, especially since many current women players do not have that strong a service game. Gibson’s serve and volley style might run into problems with some of the better baseliners, but it would be worth the price of admission.
The book, at the end, does mention the linkage between Gibson and the Williams Sisters. Serena is perhaps the G.O.A.T. for women’s tennis, but Gibson was a worthy predecessor. Both were raised in tough neighborhoods, trying to break through in a game that is generally the realm of the affluent white world, and actually dominating at their peak. Yet, Gibson never really sought to be a race pioneer. She wanted just to play her game, receive her due credit (mixed with the standard athletic ego), and ideally, would have received fair compensation for her game. Sometimes in the book, it felt like the author was disappointed that Gibson didn’t try to be more of an advocate for racial equality and fighting discrimination. Yet, Gibson never really made any secret that she was just out to play. Her game and results do speak for themselves, and are as strong evidence as anything else that game trump race and prejudice.
Much to learn in this book, and it is fairly detailed/referenced. The audiobook would rate the same as reading hard copy/e-copy.
For a five-time Grand Slam winner, she can sometimes fall beneath the cracks of the greatest women players. That her greatest successes happened when the big tournaments only allowed amateurs to play is one reason. Race is another, and her accomplishments have been far outstripped by women who’ve won more on tour than she did. What is also remarkable is that she may have been one of the better athletes America produced. She tried her hand at golf, basketball, and other sporting events. Tennis was where she had her greatest success, but maybe under different circumstances, she could have achieved more.
Her non-conformity with the accepted norms (looking to get married, playing like a lady should in the 1950s/1960s) also dogged her career. As best we can tell, she was heterosexual, but so much speculation about her relationship status haunted her, unfairly. The author notes that perhaps she was a woman before her time. An Althea Gibson in her tennis prime when the women’s pro tour kicked off…that would have been something. One might argue that her serve would translate very well in the modern game, especially since many current women players do not have that strong a service game. Gibson’s serve and volley style might run into problems with some of the better baseliners, but it would be worth the price of admission.
The book, at the end, does mention the linkage between Gibson and the Williams Sisters. Serena is perhaps the G.O.A.T. for women’s tennis, but Gibson was a worthy predecessor. Both were raised in tough neighborhoods, trying to break through in a game that is generally the realm of the affluent white world, and actually dominating at their peak. Yet, Gibson never really sought to be a race pioneer. She wanted just to play her game, receive her due credit (mixed with the standard athletic ego), and ideally, would have received fair compensation for her game. Sometimes in the book, it felt like the author was disappointed that Gibson didn’t try to be more of an advocate for racial equality and fighting discrimination. Yet, Gibson never really made any secret that she was just out to play. Her game and results do speak for themselves, and are as strong evidence as anything else that game trump race and prejudice.
Much to learn in this book, and it is fairly detailed/referenced. The audiobook would rate the same as reading hard copy/e-copy.
December 31, 2023
While I knew that Althea Gibson won the Wimbledon and the US Open in the late fifties and was the first African American to do so, I was not aware of the rest of her life. This great book filled me in. And while the book was long because of Gibson's complex and fascinating life, it read like a novel, partly because of Gibson's life and partly because Ashley Brown is a great writer.
Gibson grew up on the streets in Harlem, she was usually on the streets instead of in school and instead of home, partly because of the beatings by her dad which were severe enough to remove her from her home. But it was on the streets that she developed her reputation for athleticism, she was seen playing tennis and that led to her being invited to the Cosmopolitian, a tennis club for upper class Blacks. While Gibson benefitted from the mentoring and classes there, she chafed at what she perceived to be unfair judgment of many of the members who looked down on her street ways and dress.
Gibson won ATA tournaments, the ATA being the tennis equivalent to baseball's Negro leagues and caught the attention of two successful Black doctors who were on the lookout for a Black tennis star who could break the color barrier at Forest Hills. They had her live at their homes and arranged for her to get the best tennis training and tournaments possible. The biography then describes her success in getting invited to the major tournaments and the bumps on the road until she won the French Open, Wimbledon and Forest Hills.
Brown clearly admires Gibson and sympathizes with the unfair treatment she received because of her gender and her race. But Brown is not afraid to discuss the controversial parts of her life. Gibson corrected people when they called her the Jackie Robinson of tennis, she repeatedly said that she only represented herself, not woman, not Blacks. In fact, Brown says that it was this trait that gave the title of the Biography "Serving Herself" Gibson continued to avoid the racial and gender mantles, unlike many leading African Americans she avoided comment on issues such as the Little Rock high school effort for integration. But Brown puts this in context, Gibson suffered mightily from both racial and gender discrimination and the amateur nature of tennis of the time prevented her from having any financial success, Brown makes it understandable that Gibson had to look out for herself.
Brown continues with Gibson's post tennis life, Gibson took up golf and joined the LPGA tour, she represented the United States on world tours, and she received some speaking engagements, some later recognition for her achievements. But because she missed the big paydays of tennis tournaments and because White companies did not award big endorsement deals to Black athletes at the time, she often struggled in later life and died in poverty.
But what stands out after reading the book is that Gibson was a remarkable woman and this biography does her proud
Gibson grew up on the streets in Harlem, she was usually on the streets instead of in school and instead of home, partly because of the beatings by her dad which were severe enough to remove her from her home. But it was on the streets that she developed her reputation for athleticism, she was seen playing tennis and that led to her being invited to the Cosmopolitian, a tennis club for upper class Blacks. While Gibson benefitted from the mentoring and classes there, she chafed at what she perceived to be unfair judgment of many of the members who looked down on her street ways and dress.
Gibson won ATA tournaments, the ATA being the tennis equivalent to baseball's Negro leagues and caught the attention of two successful Black doctors who were on the lookout for a Black tennis star who could break the color barrier at Forest Hills. They had her live at their homes and arranged for her to get the best tennis training and tournaments possible. The biography then describes her success in getting invited to the major tournaments and the bumps on the road until she won the French Open, Wimbledon and Forest Hills.
Brown clearly admires Gibson and sympathizes with the unfair treatment she received because of her gender and her race. But Brown is not afraid to discuss the controversial parts of her life. Gibson corrected people when they called her the Jackie Robinson of tennis, she repeatedly said that she only represented herself, not woman, not Blacks. In fact, Brown says that it was this trait that gave the title of the Biography "Serving Herself" Gibson continued to avoid the racial and gender mantles, unlike many leading African Americans she avoided comment on issues such as the Little Rock high school effort for integration. But Brown puts this in context, Gibson suffered mightily from both racial and gender discrimination and the amateur nature of tennis of the time prevented her from having any financial success, Brown makes it understandable that Gibson had to look out for herself.
Brown continues with Gibson's post tennis life, Gibson took up golf and joined the LPGA tour, she represented the United States on world tours, and she received some speaking engagements, some later recognition for her achievements. But because she missed the big paydays of tennis tournaments and because White companies did not award big endorsement deals to Black athletes at the time, she often struggled in later life and died in poverty.
But what stands out after reading the book is that Gibson was a remarkable woman and this biography does her proud
December 3, 2025
TLDR: 3+ stars. The reader of the audio book was great. It was generally too long, but because it was thorough, and interesting.
This book taught me about Althea Gibson, racism and sexism from the 50s onward, different ways to respond to discrimination, tennis, some golf, fame and money, mentorship, sports careers, and so much more. Because it covered such a broad swath of issues in detail it was very long. I would have preferred a different focus on less detail, and probably would have learned less.
I was glad to get a view of both Maureen Connolly and Arthur Ashe from their times.
I am incredibly impressed with Althea Gibson's accomplishments on the court, course, and in life. For someone with so few resources to support her, she grew herself and used her talents and skills for a life she was interested in. This benefited herself, but also blacks and women, even if she didn't get that credit or confront it directly. She was a game changer, and ahead of her time in so many areas.
Who are the Althea Gibsons of our time who need more support?? Let's lift them up.
This book taught me about Althea Gibson, racism and sexism from the 50s onward, different ways to respond to discrimination, tennis, some golf, fame and money, mentorship, sports careers, and so much more. Because it covered such a broad swath of issues in detail it was very long. I would have preferred a different focus on less detail, and probably would have learned less.
I was glad to get a view of both Maureen Connolly and Arthur Ashe from their times.
I am incredibly impressed with Althea Gibson's accomplishments on the court, course, and in life. For someone with so few resources to support her, she grew herself and used her talents and skills for a life she was interested in. This benefited herself, but also blacks and women, even if she didn't get that credit or confront it directly. She was a game changer, and ahead of her time in so many areas.
Who are the Althea Gibsons of our time who need more support?? Let's lift them up.
February 9, 2024
Great book for learning more about this pioneering African-American athlete who was the first black player to win Wimbledon and the US Open. I liked learning about how she pursued her goals, first to win tennis championships, then later to develop a singing career and to win golf tournaments. As a forty something year old myself, it was interesting to read about Gibson reinventing herself, pursuing a career in golf later in life. I liked how the author covered the times in which Gibson lived, not only focusing purely on Gibson’s time on court. Wonderful biography and slice of American history.
October 7, 2024
Should be titled: Gibson: A Research Anthology. If they added any more material to this book, they’d have to note when Gibson breathed. Too much material on insignificant details and on people who weren’t significantly relevant to Gibson.
Gibson and other Black athletes’ experience align precisely with people of today with disabilities competing in adaptive sports. The difference: racism barely exists in professional sports anymore and pay is mostly equal amongst races. Para athletes still can’t live on their winnings and must hold jobs to come close to a decent standard of living. 60 years later and still behind, absolutely shameful.
Gibson and other Black athletes’ experience align precisely with people of today with disabilities competing in adaptive sports. The difference: racism barely exists in professional sports anymore and pay is mostly equal amongst races. Para athletes still can’t live on their winnings and must hold jobs to come close to a decent standard of living. 60 years later and still behind, absolutely shameful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2023
A great biography, though I do wonder at the insistence on Gibson's queerness when it seems to come down to being a "tomboy." I mean, don't get me wrong, I want Gibson to be a queer icon. I'm just not sure she is.
September 11, 2025
A compelling portrait of a very complicated person who is also underappreciated. I was concerned early in the book that it was written for an academic audience, but I came to really enjoy the author's style and commitment to presenting all sides of Gibson.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews