Jeenah Moon for The New York Times
In the summer of 1950, the national women’s tennis championships at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, reached a turning point. On one side was the favorite, Louise Brough, a blond Californian and the reigning Wimbledon champion. On the other side was the rangy, Harlem-raised Althea Gibson. She was not only the first African-American to play in the iconic tournament, the forerunner of the United States Open, but she also appeared headed toward a historic victory, leading by 1-6, 6-3, 7-6.
“Fans were shouting from the stands for Althea’s opponent to: ‘Beat the nigger.