Saturday, December 7, Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, a 24-year-old skilled tennis participant, did about essentially the most regular factor anybody does nowadays. He posted a pair selfie on Instagram.
It was his associate’s birthday, so he posted a candy carousel of them posing by the water in Rio de Janeiro. “I really like you a lot,” he wrote. The submit made him a trailblazer — the primary out homosexual lively skilled male tennis participant — however he was simply wishing his associate a cheerful birthday.
“I didn’t give it some thought… I simply needed to submit an image with him,” Reis da Silva advised The Athletic Sunday from São Paolo, in his first worldwide interview since he inadvertently made himself part of tennis historical past.
About an hour earlier, he had received a match for the primary time in 4 years, defeating Daniel Dutra da Silva 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to raise the Procopio Cup and earn a spot within the qualifying on the Rio Open, the ATP 500 occasion he has performed the previous two years. Not a nasty few days for the world No. 367.
“It’s been a loopy week however ultimately it was good,” he mentioned. After two lengthy harm layoffs, the 24-year-old mentioned he has performed the perfect tennis of his lifetime of late, reaching the semifinals of a match in Chile earlier than this run to the title in São Paulo. Whilst he felt the tennis world watching him in a method it by no means had earlier than.
“I didn’t really feel stress,” he mentioned. “I used to be completely satisfied. I had my boyfriend right here with me. He was supporting me. My entire workforce was right here.”
The ladies’s tennis tour has had quite a few out homosexual gamers, together with all-time greats Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who received 98 Grand Slam titles between them throughout singles and doubles.
Males’s tennis has not been this manner. Invoice Tilden, the American star who dominated tennis within the Nineteen Twenties, by no means publicly mentioned his sexuality outdoors of his 1948 e-book, “My Story: A Champion’s Memoirs.” Brian Vahaly, who performed within the 2000s and reached a career-high of world No. 57, and Bobby Blair, on tour within the Nineteen Eighties, got here out after they’d retired from skilled tennis.
Reis da Silva mentioned Sunday that he advised his household and pals that he was homosexual 5 years in the past. “Earlier than that, it was robust,” he defined.
“I couldn’t say an excessive amount of about myself to my coaches, to my pals. After I tried to like myself, that was one thing totally different. It modified my life, modified all the pieces, the connection with my mother and father, with my coaches.”
Over a 12 months in the past, Reis da Silva fell in love with Gui Sampaio Ricardo, a Brazilian actor and mannequin. Then Ricardo’s birthday rolled round for 2024, and Reis da Silva did what 24-year-olds do.
“I used to be like, ‘Oh my god, it’s my boyfriend’s birthday. Like completely satisfied birthday. I really like you.’ After which, increase!
“It was so regular for me that I didn’t give it some thought.”
Messages and assist from huge names inside and out of doors the tennis world started to roll in. Lulu Santos, a large music star in Brazil, despatched him a message. Thiago Monteiro, Brazil’s present No. 1, added coronary heart emojis to the submit. He received a like from Diego Hypolito, a homosexual Brazilian gymnast who received a silver medal on the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Identical to that, this largely unknown participant from Recife, a coastal metropolis in Brazil’s northeast nook, had grow to be a sports activities and cultural icon. He mentioned he anticipated to obtain some destructive reactions, however the responses have been “99.9 p.c optimistic.”
“I’m actually completely satisfied that individuals respect me, that individuals have a look at me, admire me perhaps,” he mentioned.
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva on his strategy to profitable 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 different gamers within the locker room, describing it as “a part of the tradition.” He added that he hoped for a time when “we will say, ‘Congratulations,’ after which rapidly transfer on. For individuals to be outlined by their sexuality is what we have to get previous.”
Reis da Silva, who mentioned he was conscious of Vahaly being honored by the U.S. Open (he can be USTA president starting in 2025), remembers being 18 and listening to somebody saying one thing offensive within the health club.
“Within the locker rooms and at tournaments I used to listen to some issues that type of bothered me,” he mentioned.
“However after I began to inform everybody that I’m homosexual and these individuals knew about it, they stopped saying these items. It’s like after they have somebody near them that’s homosexual, they respect them extra. They cease doing sh**** feedback,” Reis da Silva mentioned.
“Possibly that’s a giant factor to cease it — if individuals see somebody within the high that’s homosexual, issues can change. Individuals may cease saying issues they shouldn’t that harm individuals.”
Alison Van Uytvanck, the just lately retired former world No. 37 who’s married to physio Emilie Vermeiren, mentioned that she by no means acquired any destructive feedback within the locker room. In an interview earlier this 12 months, Van Uytvanck advised The Athletic that “it’s type of stunning“ that the ATP Tour was but to have an out, lively male participant.
“If just one participant, like a high 100 participant, could be open about it, it will be simpler for others to open up.”
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Reis da Silva mentioned seeing a task mannequin within the sport would have made an enormous distinction to him.
“After I was 16, 15, I had issues accepting myself.
“Possibly if I had had somebody enjoying saying, ‘I’m homosexual, I’m right here, I’m competing for the large tournaments,’ it will have been simpler for me to just accept myself and to like myself. Individuals have advised me that. Individuals advised me that they admire me. That I encourage individuals. So it’s a giant deal for me and them.
“I don’t have an issue with being remembered as the good homosexual tennis participant,” he mentioned, “however I don’t wish to discuss that each time, you recognize?
“I do know there can be plenty of consideration on me.”
Born right into a tennis-playing household, Reis da Silva mentioned he started hitting balls when he was three. He adopted within the footsteps of his brother, who’s six years older and who competed on the junior stage. As just a little boy, Reis da Silva was so obsessive about tennis that he would cry when his father advised him it was time to go dwelling.
He started to compete nationally at 10, leaving dwelling at 13 for São Paulo, the place he lived and educated for seven years earlier than he moved to Rio de Janeiro. Reis da Silva prefers to battle from the baseline, quite than rush the web, and he charges his service return and his backhand as his largest weapons.
“I really like to interrupt serves,” he mentioned. “I like to remain there within the level and be aggressive in my forehand and play huge rallies.”
He has competed all through the U.S., Europe and Australia along with South America, enjoying the Grand Slams as a junior. After the win in São Paulo, he plans to take per week off, together with a couple of days of vacation along with his boyfriend in Porto de Galinhas, the seashore city recognized for its pure swimming pools and white sand. He’ll then spend Christmas along with his boyfriend’s household in Goiania, a small metropolis within the heart of the nation close to the capital, Brasilia.
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva hitting his favourite shot in the course of the Wimbledon boys’ singles in 2018. (Michael Steele / Getty Pictures)
After that, he’ll return to Rio to start preparations for some Challenger tournaments (one rung beneath the ATP Tour) that lead into the South American ATP Tour swing in February and the Rio Open. His huge purpose for 2025 is to play within the qualifying match for Roland Garros — and to construct the tennis life he needs.
“It’s a person sport, so that you will be no matter you need,” he mentioned hopefully. “Everyone will settle for you.”
(High picture: Joao Pires / Photojump)