Tennis historians have long lauded the noble efforts of Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe in breaking down racial barriers in the sport. But without the guidance and encouragement of Dr. Robert Walter “Whirlwind” Johnson, Gibson, Ashe, and countless other African Americans would have been denied the opportunity to play tennis, therefore dashing not only tennis hopes and dreams, but a myriad of personal growth benefits that come with athletics – not to mention college scholarships.

For more than two decades, Dr. Johnson trained, coached, and mentored African Americans from his home tennis court in Lynchburg, Virginia. He established the Junior Development program for the American Tennis Association in 1951 and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to provide opportunities for all competitors, ultimately emerging as a towering figure in the game’s evolution.

Dr. Robert Walter “Whirlwind” Johnson was the force behind integrated tennis. As his nickname “Whirlwind” suggests, he stormed across the American tennis landscape for three decades (1940-1970) and changed tennis forever. The former football All-American built a tennis dynasty in Lynchburg, Va. that produced the first two African-American grand slam champions, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe.

On August 24, 1946, Dr. Johnson and his good friend Dr. Hubert Eaton witnessed the future of world tennis: Althea Gibson. That day, they vowed to each other and Althea to break the game’s color barrier and develop a grand slam champion. They made many personal and financial sacrifices to achieve this end. Althea later declared, “I owe the doctors a great deal. If I ever amount to anything, it will be because of them.” Althea integrated Forest Hills in 1950; seven years later, she won it.

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