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Tennis History Made: First Openly Gay Man at Australian Open
13 Jan
Summary
- Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva is the first openly gay man at the Australian Open.
- He lost in the first round of men's qualifying matches.
- He believes other gay players may be on tour but remain closeted.
Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva etched his name in tennis history on Monday, becoming the first openly gay man to participate in the Australian Open. The world No. 206 from Brazil competed at Melbourne Park, though he was eliminated in the first round of men's qualifying by Portugal's Henrique Rocha.
Reis Da Silva, who publicly came out in December 2024, expressed his desire to focus on his tennis game rather than being labeled a trailblazer. He suggested that while he is the first openly gay man at the tournament, other gay players might be present on the professional tour but remain undisclosed.
His appearance follows similar recent disclosures, with Swiss player Mika Brunold coming out in November 2024. In women's tennis, Daria Kasatkina is a notable openly gay active player who switched her national allegiance to Australia last March.
