Who is Althea Gibson and Why Should You Collect Her?
If you have been enjoying the US Open over the last two weeks, you’ve probably seen some incredible artwork featuring the profile of Althea Gibson, but you may not be familiar with the groundbreaking Black women behind it.
At just 23 years old, Gibson became the first Black player to be invited to and appear in the US Nationals (now the US Open). Though she was permitted to play after a long fight with the USTA, she was then met with many obstacles to bar her from success. Six years later, she won her first Grand Slam at what is now the French Open and became the world number one in 1957.
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By the end of her tennis career, she had won five singles Grand Slam titles, five doubles, and one mixed doubles. Beyond tennis, Gibson also broke barriers in golf by joining the LPGA in 1964 where she continued to face discrimination but persevered. Gibson was also a vocalist and saxophonist and wrote two autobiographies in her life.
Melissa Koby herself is breaking barriers as the first Black artist to create the tournament’s theme. Working primarily in paper, layers of cut paper are used to create depth and produce an image. Althea Gibson’s profile frames details like a tennis court, the Statue of Liberty (to reference to the city the US Open is played in), Arthur Ashes (another groundbreaking Black athlete of the sport whose name is the center court of the US Open), and a silhouette of a serving Gibson in the foreground.
To collect a card from Gibson’s active era, look no further than her 1959 Barratt & Co. Ltd. Giants in Sport #18 Althea Gibson. As a "cigarette card,” the vintage piece sizes up at approximately 1”x2.5” and was released in Barratt’s, a British confectionary company, products. Quantity and high grades make the card more scarce, and recent sales from August show a PSA 3 selling for $1000 and a PSA 6 for $1526.
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As is common for superstar athletes, Sports Illustrated for Kids made sure to feature Gibson on one of their ubiquitous trading cards. From the 1991 issue, card #319 features a black and white photo of Gibson in action and is readily available for sale on eBay both graded and ungraded, suiting everyone’s budgets.
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Beyond cards, there are also magazine covers, stamps, and coins. Just this year, the US Mint featured Althea Gibson on a quarter coin to be released in October as one of the final products in their American Women series. Proof coins are already available on eBay from a set release earlier this year.
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Two of Gibson’s most prolific covers are for Time from August 1957 and Sports Illustrated the following month. Both raw and graded versions are easily found and attainable in varying price points.
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The 2025 US Open concludes this weekend with the Women’s Final on Saturday at 4:00pm EST and the Men’s Final on Sunday at a time to be determined.
Lauren is a writer, collector, Orlando Magic basketball fan, and artist. Her writing can also be found on Hobby News Daily. You can follow her at instagram.com/laurengoeshere.