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Althea Gibson, a winner of five majors, to be honored with statue

Althea Gibson will be permanently honored with a monument on the grounds of the National Tennis Center next year.

U.S. Tennis Association President Katrina Adams announced the monument Saturday with Eric Goulder, who will build the sculpture.

Adams said Gibson is an icon in the sport, someone who "was truly diverse in her own thinking and her abilities."

USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said the location for the statue has not been finalized, and artist renderings are unavailable because Goulder "is still in the creative process.''

Adams said her team will survey the grounds to put the statue somewhere visible.

Gibson was the first African-American woman to win the French Open (1956), the U.S. Open (1957 and 1958) and Wimbledon (1957 and 1958).