Before Venus and Serena Williams, there was Margaret and Matilda Peters. They were nicknamed “Pete” and “Repeat” for their doubles playing skills and last name. The Peters Sisters attended Tuskegee University in 1937.
While they were in college, segregation laws did not allow African Americans to compete against Whites, so the Peters sisters played in the American Tennis Association (ATA), which was created specifically to give African Americans a forum to play tennis competitively.
After graduating from Tuskegee University in 1942, they both continued to play tennis in the American Tennis Association. They won 14 Doubles Tennis titles between 1938 and 1953.
Despite their great skill, the sisters were never allowed to compete against the great white Doubles Players of the time.
By the time the walls of segregation in tennis started falling, the Peters sisters were past their prime and were never able to compete in racially integrated matches. However, they gained fame as tennis stars.
Margaret and Matilda Peters were inducted into the Tuskegee Hall of Fame in 1977.
