Who was the first African American woman to win the French Open singles title?

Althea Gibson was the first African American woman to win the French Open singles title.

Gibson made history at the 1956 French Championships, the tournament now known as the French Open. She defeated Britain’s Angela Mortimer in the final, 6–0, 12–10, becoming the first African American player—woman or man—to win a Grand Slam singles championship.

The victory was especially significant because Gibson had already broken barriers in tennis. In 1950, she became the first African American player to compete in the U.S. national championships, and her 1956 French title established her as an international champion.

Gibson went on to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in 1957 and 1958. That later success sometimes causes people to associate her breakthrough with Wimbledon, but Paris came first. Venus and Serena Williams achieved major milestones decades later and were not the first African American women to win the French Open singles crown.