Tennis professional Joao Lucas Reis da Silva (right) has come out.

“I love you very much”: Tennis pro comes out

Birthday greetings that attract worldwide attention: A Brazilian has come out as the first active tennis professional.

12 December 2024

From: det

It was almost exactly two years ago that tennis star Taylor Fritz was asked a slightly different question in an interview. "Do you think there are gay players in tennis? No one has come out yet." The American replied: "I don't know, but statistically there should be. I'm sure a player would be accepted."

Two years later, the time has come: Joao Lucas Reis da Silva (number 367 in the world) is the first tennis professional to come out. The 24-year-old Brazilian took this step via Instagram, where he congratulated his boyfriend on his birthday. "All the best and a happy life. I love you very much," Reis da Silva wrote alongside several photos of the couple.

Check out this post on Instagram

A post shared by João Lucas Reis (@joaolreis)

Numerous friends and companions posted their congratulations under the photo. And this post also caused a stir in the wide world of the Internet, as there had never been a tennis professional who came out during his active career before. In 2017, Brian Vahaly - the former number 57 in the world - announced that he was gay, albeit ten years after his career ended.

Joao Lucas Reis da Silva mainly plays Challenger tournaments, but this year he also played in the ATP 500 tournament in Rio de Janeiro. A year ago, the Brazilian was number 204 in the world - his highest ranking to date. Now Joao Lucas Reis da Silva is making a remarkable statement away from the tennis court.