Which male tennis players are gay
Why are there no established gay tennis players on the ATP? “Maybe there are, but they are afraid, this is a macho sport”.
PARIS – There is one thing that separates the WTA from the ATP, one aspect in which they are very different: on the women’s tennis tour there are players who are openly lesbian. In the men’s tennis tour, no player has come out as gay in recent years. Why?
“Because tennis is a very masculine sport, very macho,” says Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas in an interview with CLAY. “Maybe there is still a bit of shrink from, there is that horror. Maybe there are players who are afraid, they live repressed, and it’s terrible for a person to live like that,” added the world number 61.
Fear? Varillas’ statement brings back memories of CLAY’s interview with Taylor Fritz, in which the American addressed a topic that is virtually never talked about in men’s tennis.
“I’m not sure if there are gay tennis players in the top 100. I don’t know. Maybe people think that behind closed doors we understand. Statistically speaking, there should be. Statistically. But not that I know of. I think it’s s
Tennis star, 24, becomes the first active men's player in history to approach out as gay with social media post about his model boyfriend
Joao Lucas Reis has made history to become the first openly gay active professional male tennis player.
The planet No 401 came out publicly on social media in honour of his boyfriend Gui Sampaio Ricardo's birthday, sharing photos of the paid with a sweet message announcing their relationship status.
'Happy birthday. Cheerful life,' the 24-year-old Brazilian captioned the photoset of himself and the performer and model. 'I treasure you so much.'
Although a world away from the high profile top 100 players in the ATP rankings, Reis' post has nonetheless broken down barriers in a sport where a male player has never publicly affirmed his sexuality during his active career.
Most recently, American former world No 64 Brian Vahaly came out in 2017, 10 years after calling time on his career.
Part of his verdict to wait, he told the Telegraph in 2018, came down to perceived homophobia on the tour.
Joao Lucas Reis (left) has become the first active men's player in tennis history to publicly enter out as gay
The Brazilian player is ranked 401st in t
We love the visibility these sports pros bring to the court
BY LARA IQBAL GILLING, IMAGES BY HAMELTION, SI.ROBI (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
The only two openly gay men to compete in elite-level tennis were active before World War Two. Gottfried von Cramm was a multiple grand slam winner, but was arrested for being gay in Nazi Germany. Bill Tilden won six US National Championships in a row and won Wimbledon three times too.
João Lucas Reis da Silva was the first active male tennis player to come out as gay. In December last year, he shared photos on social media for his boyfriend’s birthday on social media.
Despite this lack of gay representation in men’s tennis, many publicly queer women participate in the women’s game, digital dating back to Billie Jean King.
The tennis star is a 20th century homosexual woman icon. She was outed when she was sued by her former spouse Marilyn Barnett in 1981, making her the first openly gay female sportsman of her celebrity. At the height of her career, she was ranked at number one. Although being outed led to her losing financial backing, she became an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights in sport.
These are some gay women playing at W
First openly gay men's tennis player calls on highest ATP stars to arrive out
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva recently became tennis’ first openly gay, active male professional player and wants more men to follow suit.
The Brazilian tennis star joint a heartfelt Instagram share for his boyfriend’s birthday earlier this month, inadvertently making him the first man in the sport to come out publicly.
The world No. 401 has now encouraged top ATP stars to come out, suggesting it could modify things in the locker room.
It was a milestone moment when Reis da Silva took to Instagram just over a week ago to wish his boyfriend, actor and model Gui Sampaio Ricardo, a happy birthday.
Alongside a photo dump, the 24-year-old wrote: “Happy birthday, happy existence, I love you lots.” Without realising it, this made him the first active male tennis player to come out.
While he intended to make a statement by coming out, Reis da Silva is keen to see other players follow suit to end the stigma. “I didn’t think about it … I just wanted to post a picture with him,” he told The Athletic.
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