Serena planning to produce movie on Althea Gibson's life

Melbourne, Jan 20 (UNI) After designing clothes and making a guest appearance in a popular TV series, Serena Williams now wants to try her hands at making movies and the American tennis ace says her first venture would be a film on the Althea Gibson -- the first black player to win Wimbledon.

Gibson, who won the title in 1957, died in 2003. Williams wants the legendary tennis star's story to be told on the silver screen and says the work on the script has already started.

''I think Althea Gibson has a great story, and there's a lot of talk - we're working on a script right now,'' Williams was quoted by the 'Sydney Morning Herald' as saying.

The former Australian Open champion said Gibson inspired her to become a tennis player and producing a movie on her life would be a fitting tribute to the acheivements of the late legend.

''I think she had a great life, and I just think she's a little bit overlooked. You've got this US Open, you've got the Arthur Ashe court - which Arthur Ashe is a great guy, and it was my lifelong dream when I met him. It was amazing. Then you have the Louis Armstrong Centre and the centre being named after Billie Jean King, who, again, I always admired and she's someone that I love.

''But I just feel sometimes that Althea Gibson, who did so much for people like me to play this sport, and she was the first, before even Arthur Ashe, and I just think it will be a great story to tell.

Yeah, it's a good script. I have to read it,'' she said.

UNI