João Lucas Reis da Silva to make Australian Open history as first publicly gay player
The 25-year-old will take part in the tournament’s qualifying rounds, arriving with a world ranking of No 204
By Callum Wells
Brazilian tennis player João Lucas Reis da Silva is set to become the first publicly gay person to compete at the Australian Open this week in Melbourne.
The 25-year-old will take part in the tournament’s qualifying rounds, arriving with a world ranking of No 204. His appearance places him in uncharted territory for men’s tennis, which has never previously seen an openly gay competitor at the season’s first Grand Slam.
Reis da Silva’s rise has accelerated rapidly over the past year. As recently as late 2024, he was ranked outside the top 400. In December, he publicly shared that he is gay in an Instagram post celebrating his relationship with his partner, Gui Sampaio Ricardo. Since then, his results on tour have surged.
João Lucas Reis da Silva has previously spoken about how coming out has affected his experience within tennis
He has climbed more than 200 places in the ATP rankings, reached a career-high position of No 187 and secured his first ATP Challenger title in Santa Fe, with the victory coming during Pride Month.
Reis da Silva has previously spoken about how coming out has affected his experience within the sport. “When I started to tell everyone that I’m gay, they stopped saying these things,” he said, referencing homophobic language he had encountered earlier in his career.
Qualifying for the Australian Open begins on today (12 January). To progress into the main draw, Reis da Silva must win three matches in a row. He has opted not to play traditional warm-up tournaments ahead of the Grand Slam, choosing instead to focus on training before travelling to Melbourne.
Reis da Silva came out as gay in November 2024
Even a first-round loss in qualifying would still earn him a notable prize purse, but the wider significance of his appearance goes far beyond prize money.
Men’s tennis has historically had no openly gay players, despite its global profile. Reis da Silva has said he believes that may not reflect reality on tour. “I think there are other gay players on tour, but they’re not open,” he said recently.
Reis da Silva came out as gay in November 2024, becoming the first active male professional tennis player to do so.
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