Joao Lucas Reis da Silva created news in the tennis community. No, we’re not talking about a new Grand Slam or Masters 1000 champion. But the reason for his newfound popularity extends beyond sports. At 24 years old, he hopes to tear down obstacles and taboos. Normalise what should already be normal, and pave the path for many more to walk confidently. The Brazilian became the first player on the tour to declare his homosexuality publicly.
This resulted in a flood of encouraging messages and outpourings of support. The tennis star shared a heartfelt Instagram post for his boyfriend’s birthday earlier this month. Da Silva mostly competes on the ATP Challenger Tour and ITF circuit, ranking 401st in singles and 367th in doubles. The 24-year-old overcame Pedro Sakamoto, Daniel Dutra da Silva, Juan Carlos Prado Angelo, and Camilo Ugo Carabelli before falling to Enzo Couacaud.
In his previous competition in Temuco, Chile, the Brazilian advanced to the semifinal round. He defeated World No. 84 Francisco Comesana, Diego Dedura-Palomero, and Conner Huertas Del Pino before succumbing to Lebanon’s Hady Habib. Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva won 24 of 53 matches on the Challenger Tour and ITF circuit in 2024. Reis da Silva’s junior and early tennis years were marred by negative locker room comments.
Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva Calls Out ATP
Joao’s inability to identify with a role model contributed significantly to his delay in coming out publicly. However, when presenting his tale, Reis da Silva does not want to be known exclusively for his sexual orientation, nor does he want that to be the only thing brought up in discussion with him. The Brazilian tennis star expressed that he does not simply want to discuss his openly gay status, despite being an inspiration to many people.
Joao said, “People have told me that, they have told me that they admire me, that I inspire people, so that’s very important to me. I have no problem being remembered as the great gay tennis player, but I don’t want to talk about it all the time.”
