On December 7, the 24-year-old Brazilian tennis player João Lucas Reis Da Silva made history by becoming the first active male professional tennis player to publicly disclose his gay identity. His announcement came via an Instagram post where he uploaded a carousel of pictures with his boyfriend, Brazilian actor and model Gui Sampaio, along with a loving caption to wish Sampaio a happy birthday.

Winning the Procopio Cup and Qualifying for the Rio Open

Just a week after this significant announcement, Reis da Silva achieved a remarkable feat. On December 15 in São Paulo, he won his first tournament in four years by defeating Daniel Dutra da Silva in the Procopio Cup. This victory qualified him for the February 2025 Rio Open, marking a major milestone in his career. In an interview with The Athletic following the tournament win, he expressed his emotions, saying, "It’s been a crazy week, but in the end, it was perfect."

Tennis Journey and Inspirations

Reis da Silva, hailing from Recife, Brazil, came out to his family and friends when he was 19. He started playing tennis at the tender age of three and credits his brother for being his inspiration to pick up a racquet. His tennis career has taken him to tournaments across the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America, as evidenced by his ATP profile. Before his recent Procopio Cup win, his other notable achievement was winning the ATP Challenger Tour doubles title at the 2023 Challenger de Santiago with Pedro Boscardin Dias.

Motivation behind the Instagram Post

In the interview with The Athletic, he shared that although his social media post for Sampaio publicly announced his queer identity, his main motivation was to celebrate his partner's special day. He said, "I didn’t think about it… I just wanted to post a picture with him." This shows his genuine and heartfelt approach to sharing this important part of his life.

Comparison with Other Queer Tennis Players

A few other male tennis players have come out as gay, but not during their active playing years. For example, American player Bill Tilden addressed being gay in his 1943 autobiography, My Story: A Champion’s Memoirs, several years after his retirement. Until Reis da Silva's post, Brian Vahaly was the most recent ATP player to come out as gay in 2017, a decade after he retired from tennis. Reis da Silva is grateful for the support he has received from his followers, tennis fans, and the sports community after coming out publicly. He also realizes the impact his story may have on other tennis players.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As his busy year comes to an end, Reis da Silva plans to enjoy the holidays and then resume his career in 2025. He is ready to face the attention that comes with his groundbreaking announcement and continue to make his mark in the tennis world. Everyone deserves to live their life authentically, and Reis da Silva's story is a powerful example of that.