Harvard graduate Maxi Duncan was among the honorees at last Sunday’s U.S. Open ceremony, celebrating Althea Gibson’s trailblazing debut 75 years ago.
Maxi Duncan is a rising star and alumna of the USTA Foundation and Pete Brown Tennis Foundation. Duncan, 22, appeared at the tournament’s opening weekend brunch honoring Gibson, the first Black player to compete at the U.S. National Championships — now the U.S. Open — and later the first to win Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The event coincided with what would have been Gibson’s 98th birthday and marked the first time the Open’s main draw began on August 24.
For Duncan, who grew up in Los Angeles under the guidance of her parents, fashion designer GiGi Hunter, and former professional basketball player Gerald Duncan, the occasion carried special meaning. “Althea didn’t just open one door; she knocked down them all,” Duncan said during her remarks at the brunch. Because of her past, I felt empowered to choose and pursue mine. I now work in New York in book publishing, and I also have a goal to play professionally and hopefully compete on historic courts such as these. Althea showed us that we shouldn’t limit ourselves, and I’m trying to live by that.”
Duncan’s journey mirrors Gibson’s impact, shaped by strong grassroots programming and consistent family guidance. Trained at the Pete Brown Tennis Foundation in Los Angeles, she also mentored younger players through leadership and service.
Her mother, GiGi Hunter, a former dancer turned pioneering fashion designer of luxury knitwear in the late 1980s and 1990s, modeled creativity and resilience. Her father, Gerald Duncan, a record-setting basketball player at Cal State San Bernardino who later became an NBA agent, provided an example of discipline and professional acumen. Together, they gave their daughter a foundation of excellence beyond sport.
Courtesy Harvard Athletics
That foundation carried her to Harvard, where she competed under women’s head coach Traci Green, a former NCAA champion at Florida. Green emphasizes balancing academics and athletics, a philosophy that resonated with Duncan throughout her time in Cambridge.
Duncan’s junior résumé established her as one of the nation’s premier prospects. Rated a Blue Chip recruit and ranked as high as No. 4 nationally by TennisRecruiting.net, she captured multiple USTA Gold Balls, sectional titles, and pro event wins. She even held a WTA doubles ranking in 2020.
At Harvard, she embraced both academic rigor and athletic challenge. “Harvard gave me a chance to grow not just as a player, but as a person,” Duncan said in her Harvard Athletics profile. Her honors included winning 16 consecutive matches across UTR and ITA events in 2020, claiming national junior titles in singles and doubles, and helping set the tone for the Crimson women’s tennis program.
Off the court, Duncan enjoys painting, reading, and cooking — creative pursuits that echo the balance of discipline and artistry she learned from her parents.
With her degree in hand and training underway, Duncan now has her eyes set on the WTA Tour. The recent U.S. Open tribute, connecting her journey to Gibson’s legacy, underscored the significance of her next step.
“You can’t tell where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been,” USTA President Brian Hainline said during the opening ceremony, according to USTA.com. “Althea came first, but she also made space for generations like Maxi’s.”
For Duncan, that space has become an opportunity and a platform to inspire. “I want to play the game at the highest level, but I also want to show that with the right support, especially from your family, anything is possible,” she told USTA.com.
As the U.S. Open celebrates Gibson’s trailblazing mark on the sport, Duncan is preparing to extend that legacy — from Harvard’s courts to the WTA Tour, continuing Gibson’s pioneering spirit while blazing a path of her own.
