Reis da Silva stated, 'I didn't think about it ... I just wanted to post a picture with him.' He emphasizes how normal it was for him to celebrate his boyfriend's birthday.
He reflects on the past saying, 'I couldn't say too much about myself to my coaches, to my friends. When I tried to love myself, that was something different,' revealing his journey to self-acceptance.
Reis da Silva hopes to inspire younger LGBTQ+ athletes: 'Maybe if I had had someone playing saying, 'I'm gay, I'm here, I'm competing for the big championships,' it would have helped me.'
Though he acknowledges his identity as a gay tennis player, he prefers not to focus solely on that, saying, 'I don't want to talk about that every time.', demonstrating a desire for balance in his public persona.
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