To this pro men's tennis player, coming out was 'so normal that I didn’t think about it'

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Joao Lucas Reis da Silva surprised fans earlier this month when he posted Instagram photos of himself alongside his partner, Gui Sampaio Ricardo.

Joao Lucas Reis da Silva didn't think it was that big deal of a deal to come out.

The 24-year-old professional surprised fans earlier this month when he posted Instagram photos of himself alongside his partner, Gui Sampaio Ricardo, with the caption: "Happy birthday, happy life, I love you a lot." Ricardo responded with a comment reading: "Te amo" ("I love you").

“I didn’t think about it ... I just wanted to post a picture with him,” Reis da Silva told The Athletic. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s my boyfriend’s birthday. Like happy birthday. I love you.’ And then, boom! It was so normal for me that I didn’t think about it.”

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Reis da Silva is now one of the few out players in the history of men's tennis. He said that he first came out to his friends and family, including some fellow tennis players and coaches, about five years ago, but "before that, it was tough."

“I couldn’t say too much about myself to my coaches, to my friends. When I tried to love myself, that was something different," he continued. "It changed my life, changed everything, the relationship with my parents, with my coaches.”

Reis da Silva is currently playing on the ATP Challenger Tour circuit, and is ranked 401 in the world in singles and 367 in the world in doubles. He's won nine ITF titles, including six doubles, and won his first Challenger trophy in 2023 with Boscardin Dias at the Santiago Open. He will be competing this week in the Procopio Cup in Sao Paulo, a pre-qualifying event for the Rio Open.

Reis da Silva said that while “I don’t have a problem with being remembered as the great gay tennis player,” he doesn't "want to talk about that every time." Still, he hopes that living openly could continue to inspire younger generations of LGBTQ+ athletes.

“When I was 16, 15, I had problems accepting myself. Maybe if I had had someone playing saying, ‘I’m gay, I’m here, I’m competing for the big tournaments,’ it would have been easier for me to accept myself and to love myself," Reis da Silva continued. "People have told me that. People told me that they admire me. That I inspire people. So it’s a big deal for me and them."