João Lucas Reis da Silva becomes first out gay male tennis pro to compete at a Grand Slam
João Luca Reis da Silva has made history – again (@joaolreis/ Instagram)
João Luca Reis da Silva has made history – again (@joaolreis/ Instagram)
Brazilian tennis player João Lucas Reis da Silva has again made history by becoming the first out gay male athlete to compete in a Grand Slam event at the US Open.
João Lucas Reis da Silva made history in late 2024 when he came out as gay by sharing a sweet snap of his partner Gui Sampaio Ricardo to celebrate the latter’s birthday.
Da Silva became the first active male professional player to come out publicly in a move he “didn’t even think about” as groundbreaking – and he has now served another ace into the history books.
The 25-year-old, who was ranked at a career high of No. 230 in the world as of 18 August this year, has become the first out gay tennis pro to compete in a Grand Slam event.
He stepped onto the court at the US Open this week for the qualifying rounds at the US Open in New York against Belgium’s Alexander Blockx.
Despite losing his Court no. 9 match against Blockx (6–2, 6–1), da Silva’s impact is undeniable, with Tony Hagen from the Gay Tennis Podcast telling QNews: “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.”
Though João Lucas Reis da Silva is the first out male pro to compete in a Grand Slam event at the US Open, he is not the first out gay one overall.
In 2023, female pros Daria Kasatkina and Greet Minnen made history by becoming the first two out gay players to face off against each other.
Brian Vahaly became the first out professional gay tennis player when he came out in 2017, a decade after retiring from the sport.
“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”, he told The Telegraph in 2018.
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