Reaction to the death of Althea Gibson:

Althea was one of the true pioneers of our sport. Her remarkable career should be an inspiration to all of us. She's going to be deeply missed.

-- WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott

She was very mindful of the fact that she had achieved greatness and yet was not able to receive the rewards that would normally accompany achievements like hers.

-- Former New York Mayor David Dinkins, a longtime friend

Her accomplishments set the stage for my success, and through players like myself, Serena, and many others to come, her legacy will live on.

-- Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams

We all know people who influence us and, if we are lucky, we meet a few in our lives who improve us. Althea Gibson improved my life and the lives of countless others. She was the first to break so many barriers and from the first time I saw her play, when I was 13 years old, she became, and remained, one of my true heroines. It was truly an inspiration for me to watch her overcome adversity. Her road to success was a challenging one, but I never saw her back down. Althea did a lot for people in tennis, but she did even more for people in general.

-- Former No. 1 Billie Jean King

Her contribution to the civil rights movement was done with her tennis racket.

-- Fran Gray, longtime friend, co-founder and CEO of the Althea Gibson Foundation in Newark, N.J.

Athleticism was a gift to her. She was an all-round athlete. Golf, pool and, quite naturally, tennis. She did it all.

-- Hansel Tookes, a coach at Florida A&M from 1946-80

She was the Jackie Robinson of tennis. She was the first. ... She was good at what she did, but she took a lot of abuse.

-- East Orange, N.J., Mayor Robert L. Bowser

I don't think Althea craved attention. She just wanted to beat everyone in the world, and she could.

-- Jerry Izenberg, sports columnist for The Star-Ledger of Newark for 41 years