By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 14, 2025
Photo credit: El Grafico/Wikimedia Commons
Althea Gibson was a tennis trailblazer.
Now, the Hall of Famer has earned super hero status.
Fans can celebrate Gibson’s glorious legacy at next week’s US Open Fan Week.
The USTA today announced that the US Open and Marvel will continue their collaboration for a second straight year by spotlighting this year’s US Open theme – Celebrating 75 Years of Breaking Barriers – with a new and original comic book spotlighting Althea Gibson and the Fantastic Four.
More than 40,000 print copies of the comic book will be given out to fans for free during US Open Fan Week, held August 18-23 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
A dynamic serve-and-volleyer, former Harlem resident Althea Gibson inspired champion ranging from Billie Jean King to Chrissie Evert to Venus Williams. An Althea Gibson tribute statue stands outside the front gate of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“The original comic book follows the Fantastic Four as they learn about Gibson’s life and career and the legacy she inspired while breaking tennis’ color barrier at the 1950 US Open, before going on to win back to back Wimbledon and US Open singles titles and becoming one of the most legendary figures in tennis,” the USTA said in a statement. “The story then follows the inspired Fantastic Four to the US Open, where they channel Gibson to overcome an ‘impossible’ challenge on the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.”
Print copies of the Althea Gibson-Fantastic Four comic book will be given out for free to fans who have signed up for Fan Access Pass, with 6,000 books being given away each day from Monday through Friday of US Open Fan Week, and the remaining copies to be given away on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on Saturday, August 23.
The comic books will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to fans who scan their Fan Access Pass at the giveaway booth, with a limit of one comic per fan for the week, the USTA said.
