This Brazilian Tennis Star is an Exceedingly Rare Out Pro Male Player

Brazilian player João Lucas Reis da Silva has become one of the very few active male professionals on the tennis circuit to come out as queer.

Da Silva went public with his relationship with actor and model Gui Sampaio Ricardo in a heartfelt Instagram post.

Alongside a series of pictures of the two men, he wrote in Portuguese: “Happy birthday. Happy life. I love you so much.”

The 24-year-old competes on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals ) Challenger Tour circuit and is currently ranked 401 in the world, although he previously reached a career-high ranking of 259 in 2023.

Openly gay or bisexual male players remain a rarity in the professional tennis world. Former American player Brian Vahaly came out as gay in 2017, but only several years after retiring.

“There are a lot of homophobic locker room comments made in jest so it’s not going to feel like a safe space,” he said about the challenges of coming out in the sport.

“And after 20+ years of grinding hard work, to get to the finish line and then for (the media) to focus on your orientation rather than your achievement, may be a bridge too far for people,” Vahaly added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by João Lucas Reis (@joaolreis)

An ATP survey of 65 players in 2022 revealed that homophobic language is commonly used in tennis with 75 per cent of players reporting having heard other players use homophobic slurs.

That same year, French tennis players Fabien Reboul and Maxence Broville sparked speculation about their relationship when they posted an image that appeared to show them kissing.

However, it remains unclear whether their display was a genuine romantic gesture or how they identify in terms of their sexual orientation.

LGBTQ+ players are far more visible in women’s tennis, which has long celebrated high-profile figures such as Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, both of whom came out in the early 1980s.