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Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Arthur Ashe, Here Are The Best Black Tennis Players As Zendaya's 'Challengers' Hits Theaters

Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Arthur Ashe, Here Are The Best Black Tennis Players As Zendaya's 'Challengers' Hits Theaters

Zendaya's tennis drama has just hit the big screen, but these real-life Black tennis greats are legendary.

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Start Slideshow
L-R; Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams, Althea Gibson
L-R; Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams, Althea Gibson
Photo: Getty Images

In “Challengers,” Zendaya plays a tennis star-turned-coach who finds herself coaching her husband in a match behind his former best friend – who also happens to be her ex. USA Today calls the steam story a saucy tennis melodrama.”

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While we wait for the film to hit the big screen on April 26, we wanted to take a look at some of the greatest real-life Black tennis players throughout history.

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Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe runs for the ball during a match at Wimbledon in England.
Arthur Ashe runs for the ball during a match at Wimbledon in England.
Photo: Tony Duffy (Getty Images)

You can’t have a conversation about tennis greats that doesn’t include Arthur Ashe. Born in in Richmond, Va. in 1943, Ashe was a champion who opened doors for countless other players of color.

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The first (and only) African American male to win both U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles titles, Ashe earned his rightful place in the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.

Ashe was also a tireless activist, speaking out against apartheid, creating tennis programs for inner city youth and educating the public on AIDS until his death in 1993.

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Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson

American tennis player Althea Gibson (1927 - 2003) holding the Venus Rosewater Plate after winning the women’s singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 5th 1958.
American tennis player Althea Gibson (1927 - 2003) holding the Venus Rosewater Plate after winning the women’s singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 5th 1958.
Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive (Getty Images)

Born in 1927, Althea Gibson grew up in a time when Black players weren’t allowed at most tennis tournaments. But her skill on the court earned her many important firsts in the sport. Gibson was the first African American tennis player to compete at the U.S. National Championships in 1950. And in 1951, she became the first African American to play at Wimbledon. Gibson went on to win the women’s singles and doubles at Wimbledon in 1957 and the U.S. Open in 1958.

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James Blake

James Blake

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 23: James Blake returns a shot during the US Open Legends Match with Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 23, 2022 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 23: James Blake returns a shot during the US Open Legends Match with Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 23, 2022 in New York City.
Photo: Jamie Squire (Getty Images)

Yonkers, N.Y. native James Blake won 10 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles titles from 2002 to 2007. Ranked number four in the world in November 2006, Blake played his way to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open in 2005 and 2006 and the final eight at the 2008 Australian Open.

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Serena Williams

Serena Williams

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Serena Williams of the United States looks on against Ajla Tomlijanovic of Australia during their Women’s Singles Third Round match on Day Five of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Serena Williams of the United States looks on against Ajla Tomlijanovic of Australia during their Women’s Singles Third Round match on Day Five of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Photo: Elsa (Getty Images)

Since winning her first major singles title at the U.S. Open in 1999, Serena Williams has claimed 23 Grand Slam titles – more than any player in the Open era. She also has four Olympic medals and is reportedly the highest-earning female athlete of all time.

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Zina Garrison

Zina Garrison

Jun-Jul 1990: Zina Garrison of the USA prepares to serve during the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in London.
Jun-Jul 1990: Zina Garrison of the USA prepares to serve during the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in London.
Photo: Bob Martin/Allsport (Getty Images)

Zina Garrison dominated the sport in the 1980s and 1990s. With 14 career singles titles and 20 doubles titles, her performance on the court got her to the finals at Wimbledon in 1990 and the semi-finals of the U.S. Open in 1988 and 1989. She also represented Team USA at the Olympics in 1988 (where she won a gold medal in women’s doubles and a bronze in women’s singles) and 1992.

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Ora Washington

Ora Washington

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A champion on the court in the 1920s and 1930s, Ora Washington is considered one of the first Black female sports stars in history. Known for her powerful serve, Washington won 23 American Tennis Association national championships. Dubbed the “Queen of Two Courts,” Washington was also a basketball star, winning 11 consecutive Women’s Colored Basketball World Championships with the Philadelphia Tribunes.

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Venus Williams

Venus Williams

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 07: Venus Williams of the United States serves against Nao Hibino of Japan in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2024 in Indian Wells, California.
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 07: Venus Williams of the United States serves against Nao Hibino of Japan in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2024 in Indian Wells, California.
Photo: Frey/TPN (Getty Images)

Since 1994, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has won seven Grand Slam titles, four gold medals between the 2000 and 2012 Summer Olympics and a Silver medal during the 2016 Rio Olympics.

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Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Coco Gauff of The United States plays a backhand shot against Arantxa Rus of Netherlands on Day Three during their second round match of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on April 25, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Coco Gauff of The United States plays a backhand shot against Arantxa Rus of Netherlands on Day Three during their second round match of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on April 25, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
Photo: Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images (Getty Images)

At just 20 years old, Coco Gauff is already making a name for herself in professional tennis. She burst onto the scene in 2019 when she got a wild card slot at Wimbledon. There, she beat five-time champ Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round. At 19, she won her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 U.S. Open, making her the youngest American player to win the tournament since 17-year-old Serena Williams won the title in 1999.

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Chanda Rubin

Chanda Rubin

FLUSHING, NY - SEPTEMBER 3: Chanda Rubin returns a shot to Venus Williams during the US Open September 3, 2002 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Flushing, New York.
FLUSHING, NY - SEPTEMBER 3: Chanda Rubin returns a shot to Venus Williams during the US Open September 3, 2002 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Flushing, New York.
Photo: Al Bello (Getty Images)

Chanda Rubin was a force on the court in the 1990s and early 2000s. Once ranked number 6 in the world, she made it to the semifinals at the 1996 Australian Open and the quarterfinals three times at the French Open.

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Rubin, who graduated cum laude from Harvard University, was inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009. Since retiring, she’s been a commentator for The Tennis Channel.

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Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a forehand against Liudmila Samsonova on Day Two during their 2nd Round match of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on April 25, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a forehand against Liudmila Samsonova on Day Two during their 2nd Round match of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on April 25, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.
Photo: Clive Brunskill (Getty Images)

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has two U.S. Open and two Australian Open titles under her belt. The 26-year-old Japan-born Osaka is the first Asian tennis player to be ranked number one in the world in singles.

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Yannick Noah

Yannick Noah

Yannick Noah of France prepares to serve against Ivan Kley of Brazil during the Men’s Singles First Round match at the French Open Tennis Championship on 25th May 1987 at the Stade Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France. Yannick Noah won the match 6 - 0, 6 - 2, 6 - 2.
Yannick Noah of France prepares to serve against Ivan Kley of Brazil during the Men’s Singles First Round match at the French Open Tennis Championship on 25th May 1987 at the Stade Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, France. Yannick Noah won the match 6 - 0, 6 - 2, 6 - 2.
Photo: Chris Cole/Allsport (Getty Images)

French tennis star Yannick Noah was discovered at age 11 by Arthur Ashe at a tennis clinic in Cameroon, West Africa. Once Ashe set him up with training, Noah became a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, with 23 tour singles championships and 16 in doubles. Among his career highlights, Noah won the French Open Singles title in 1983 and the doubles title in 1984. Athletic ability runs in his family: Noah’s son is former NBA player Joakim Noah.

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