Saturday, December 7, Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, a 24-year-old skilled tennis participant, did about probably the most customary factor someone does nowadays. He posted a pair selfie on Instagram.
It used to be his spouse’s birthday, so he posted a candy carousel of them posing by means of the H2O in Rio de Janeiro. “I love you so much,” he wrote. The publish made him a trailblazer — the primary out homosexual lively skilled male tennis participant — however he used to be simply wishing his spouse a cheerful birthday.
“I didn’t think about it… I just wanted to post a picture with him,” Reis da Silva advised The Athletic Sunday from São Paolo, in his first world interview since he inadvertently made himself part of tennis historical past.
About an day previous, he had received a event for the primary future in 4 years, defeating Daniel Dutra da Silva 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to boost the Procopio Cup and earn a place within the qualifying on the Rio Unmistakable, the ATP 500 match he has performed the date two years. No longer a unholy few days for the sector Incorrect. 367.
“It’s been a crazy week but in the end it was perfect,” he mentioned. Next two lengthy trauma layoffs, the 24-year-old mentioned he has performed the most efficient tennis of his presen of overdue, achieving the semifinals of a event in Chile earlier than this run to the identify in São Paulo. Whilst he felt the tennis global staring at him in some way it by no means had earlier than.
“I didn’t feel pressure,” he mentioned. “I was happy. I had my boyfriend here with me. He was supporting me. My whole team was here.”
The ladies’s tennis excursion has had various out homosexual avid gamers, together with all-time greats Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who received 98 Lavish Slam titles between the two of them throughout singles and doubles.
Males’s tennis has no longer been this fashion. Invoice Tilden, the American celebrity who ruled tennis within the Nineteen Twenties, by no means publicly mentioned his sexuality out of doors of his 1948 hold, “My Story: A Champion’s Memoirs.” Brian Vahaly, who performed within the 2000s and reached a career-high of global Incorrect. 57, and Bobby Blair, on excursion within the Eighties, got here out next they’d retired from skilled tennis.
Reis da Silva mentioned Sunday that he advised his society and pals that he used to be homosexual 5 years in the past. “Before that, it was tough,” he defined.
“I couldn’t say too much about myself to my coaches, to my friends. When I tried to love myself, that was something different. It changed my life, changed everything, the relationship with my parents, with my coaches.”
Over a 12 months in the past, Reis da Silva fell in love with Gui Sampaio Ricardo, a Brazilian actor and style. After Ricardo’s birthday rolled round for 2024, and Reis da Silva did what 24-year-olds do.
“I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s my boyfriend’s birthday. Like happy birthday. I love you.’ And then, boom!
“It was so normal for me that I didn’t think about it.”
Messages and aid from fat names outside and inside the tennis global started to roll in. Lulu Santos, a immense track celebrity in Brazil, despatched him a message. Thiago Monteiro, Brazil’s tide Incorrect. 1, added middle emojis to the publish. He were given a like from Diego Hypolito, a homosexual Brazilian gymnast who received a silver medal on the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Identical to that, this in large part unknown participant from Recife, a coastal town in Brazil’s northeast nook, had develop into a sports activities and cultural icon. He mentioned he anticipated to obtain some adverse reactions, however the responses had been “99.9 percent positive.”
“I’m really happy that people respect me, that people look at me, admire me maybe,” he mentioned.
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva on his solution to successful the Procopio Cup in São Paolo, Brazil. (Joao Pires / Photojump)
Talking in an interview with The Telegraph in 2018, Vahaly mentioned that he heard homophobic feedback from alternative avid gamers within the bank room, describing it as “part of the culture.” He added that he was hoping for a future when “we can say, ‘Congratulations,’ and then quickly move on. For people to be defined by their sexuality is what we need to get past.”
Reis da Silva, who mentioned he used to be acutely aware of Vahaly being venerated by means of the U.S. Unmistakable (he’ll be USTA president starting in 2025), recalls being 18 and listening to any individual pronouncing one thing offensive within the health club.
“In the locker rooms and at tournaments I used to hear some things that kind of bothered me,” he mentioned.
“But when I started to tell everyone that I’m gay and these people knew about it, they stopped saying these things. It’s like when they have someone close to them that is gay, they respect them more. They stop doing sh**** comments,” Reis da Silva mentioned.
“Maybe that’s a big thing to stop it — if people see someone in the top that is gay, things can change. People might stop saying things they shouldn’t that hurt people.”
Alison Van Uytvanck, the lately retired former global Incorrect. 37 who’s married to physio Emilie Vermeiren, mentioned that she by no means won any adverse feedback within the bank room. In an interview previous this 12 months, Van Uytvanck advised The Athletic that “it is kind of surprising“ that the ATP Tour was yet to have an out, active male player.
“If only one player, like a top 100 player, would be open about it, it would be easier for others to open up.”
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Reis da Silva mentioned visual a job style within the recreation would have made a profusion residue to him.
“When I was 16, 15, I had problems accepting myself.
“Maybe if I had had someone playing saying, ‘I’m gay, I’m here, I’m competing for the big tournaments,’ it would have been easier for me to accept myself and to love myself. People have told me that. People told me that they admire me. That I inspire people. So it’s a big deal for me and them.
“I don’t have a problem with being remembered as the great gay tennis player,” he mentioned, “but I don’t want to talk about that every time, you know?
“I know there will be a lot of attention on me.”
Born right into a tennis-playing society, Reis da Silva mentioned he started hitting balls when he used to be 3. He adopted within the footsteps of his brother, who’s six years used and who competed on the juvenile degree. As a modest boy, Reis da Silva used to be so obsessive about tennis that he would call when his father advised him it used to be future to journey house.
He started to compete nationally at 10, escape house at 13 for São Paulo, the place he lived and skilled for seven years earlier than he moved to Rio de Janeiro. Reis da Silva prefers to fight from the baseline, in lieu than scurry the web, and he charges his carrier go back and his backhand as his largest guns.
“I love to break serves,” he mentioned. “I like to stay there in the point and be aggressive in my forehand and play big rallies.”
He has competed all through the U.S., Europe and Australia along with South The usa, gambling the Lavish Slams as a juvenile. Next the win in São Paulo, he plans to pluck a pace off, together with a couple of days of ease together with his boyfriend in Porto de Galinhas, the seaside the city recognized for its herbal swimming pools and white sand. He’s going to nearest spend Christmas together with his boyfriend’s society in Goiania, a mini town within the heart of the rustic close the capital, Brasilia.
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva hitting his favourite shot all over the Wimbledon boys’ singles in 2018. (Michael Steele / Getty Photographs)
Next that, he’ll go back to Rio to start arrangements for some Challenger tournaments (one rung beneath the ATP Excursion) that supremacy into the South American ATP Excursion swing in February and the Rio Unmistakable. His fat objective for 2025 is to play games within the qualifying event for Roland Garros — and to manufacture the tennis presen he needs.
“It’s an individual sport, so you can be whatever you want,” he mentioned with a bit of luck. “Everybody will accept you.”
(Lead picture: Joao Pires / Photojump)
