João Lucas Reis da Silva publicly came out in late 2024 by sharing a photo of his partner Gui Sampaio Ricardo for the latter's birthday. He became the first active male professional player to come out publicly and then became the first out gay male tennis pro to compete in a Grand Slam event when he played in the US Open qualifying rounds against Alexander Blockx. Da Silva was ranked a career-high No. 230 on 18 August 2024 and lost the qualifying match 6-2, 6-1. Commentary framed his participation as advancing LGBTQIA+ representation in men's tennis. Earlier milestones include out female players Daria Kasatkina and Greet Minnen facing each other in 2023, and Brian Vahaly coming out in 2017 after retirement, who reported routine homophobic comments in locker rooms.
It marks a significant step towards greater LGBTQIA+ representation and acceptance. In men's tennis, openly gay athletes have been extremely rare. His participation helps break down stigma and pushes the sport toward greater inclusivity and diversity.
I heard homophobic comments all the time in the locker room - to my face, behind my back. That was just a part of the culture.
didn't even think about
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