Gay pro tennis player Mika Brunold ‘surprised’ by reaction to his coming out
Mika Brunold is celebrating an early career achievement and says he wants to "spread love" wherever he goes. The post Gay pro tennis player Mika Brunold ‘surprised’ by reaction to his coming out appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
Mika Brunold received a late call into Switzerland’s Davis Cup team last weekend, and went on to record a victory on his debut.
It was his biggest challenge since becoming only the second active professional player in men’s tennis to come out publicly as gay.
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Switzerland’s Mika Brunold, ranked in the ATP’s top 300 in 2025, says he has conquered the fear around coming out.
The 21-year-old was selected to face Tunisia’s Aziz Ouakaa in the final singles match of the tie in Biel. Earlier on Saturday, the Swiss had sealed their success overall, so Brunold was essentially playing for pride.
Before his match, he discussed having taken strength from the way in which the sports world and the general public had welcomed his personal news, which he shared via an Instagram post in late November 2025.
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“I was pleasantly surprised,” Brunold told Swiss newspaper Blick. “Firstly, that it went so viral. And secondly, that there was so much positive feedback.”
He had anticipated a lot of negative comments on social media. “But it was absolutely minimal. I don’t think there were even five.”
The Davis Cup tie was a playoff to remain in World Group 1, and with the pressure off, Brunold secured a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Ouakaa in just 53 minutes.
He fired three aces and converted five out of seven break points to help secure a 4-0 clean sweep for the Swiss.
Brunold is now balancing his burgeoning ATP career with the mantle of gay role model. He reached a career-high world ranking of 289th in August 2025, and although his current position is now 459th, his debut Davis Cup display is sure to boost his confidence for future tournaments.
In his Instagram post last year, Brunold suggested that he had struggled with his sexuality, referring to “the fear of not being accepted, the pressure to stay quiet, the feeling of being different.”
But he said that over time, he had become “proud” to be gay. “I’m sharing this with you to take a step for myself, but also because I think it’s not talked about enough in sports.
“I believe that in an ideal world, we wouldn’t even need to ‘come out’ at all.”
His new confidence shines through in a short interview on the Swiss Tennis TikTok account.
In a quickfire Q&A, we discover his love for Hawaiian pizza (a brave revelation), that his hair means “everything” to him, and that if he was an emoji, he would be the “heart hands” because he’s all about “spreading love.”
@swiss_tennis Get to know the rookie in the Securitas Swiss Davis Cup Team vs Tunisia – @Mika Brunold Tickets for the tie on 6/7 Feb in Biel/Bienne: swisstennis.ch/tickets #SUITUN @Davis Cup ♬ Originalton – Swiss Tennis
Having now seen his story be welcomed so widely, he’d be prepared to recommend coming out to any fellow pro players who are gay and who want to be true to themselves in the sport.
Since Joao Lucas Reis came out in December 2024, the Brazilian has climbed into the world’s top 200 and played in qualifying at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
“My impression is that the tennis world is ready for gay players,” said Brunold. “In my case, I can be open about it. Or rather, I’ve noticed that it’s not an issue at all on the tour.”
On the representation he is now providing alongside Reis, he added: “It would be nice if the path we’ve chosen encourages other players as well.
“[But] everyone has to go their own way and decide for themselves whether they want to go public with it.”
Brunold’s friends on the Swiss team, led by captain Severin Lüthi, were clearly thrilled by his success, as were the 700 fans in the arena.
Switzerland will discover their next Davis Cup opponents when the draw is made on Thursday, with the World Group 1 tie due to played in September. Win that, and they could challenge for a place in the finals.
Competition for places is high, so there is no guarantee that Brunold – currently the Swiss no. 9, based on the ATP rankings – will retain his place in the team.
But the outlook is good, just as it was when he chose to hit publish on his Instagram post.
“For me, the moment was absolutely right,” he said.
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The post Gay pro tennis player Mika Brunold ‘surprised’ by reaction to his coming out appeared first on Outsports.
