Tennis pro Joao Lucas Reis da Silva is Outsports’ Male Athlete of the Year
After coming out, Brazil tennis pro Joao Lucas Reis da Silva has climbed the ATP rankings as he seeks his goal of a Grand Slam event. The post Tennis pro Joao Lucas Reis da Silva is Outsports’ Male Athlete of the Year appeared first on Outsports.
Mark
Pro tennis player Joao Lucas Reis da Silva of Brazil is living proof that coming out as gay in men’s pro sports might actually benefit one’s career.
When Reis da Silva, 25, came out in December 2024 he was ranked No. 367 in the world. A year later, he sits at No. 203 after getting as high as No. 187.
Tennis.com labels him a “rising star” on the ATP Challenger Tour, which included a win this spring. In August, he became the first man to compete in a qualifying at the U.S. Open or at any Grand Slam event while being publicly out.
For his successful year in 2025 with more to come, Reis da Silva is Outsports’ Male Athlete of the year. He beat out a strong field, which included track stars Nico Young and Trey Cunningham, curler Bruce Mouat, Argentine basketball player Sebastian Vega and pro wrestler Anthony Bowens. This is the second Outsports award for Reis da Silva. In 2024 he was selected as Male Hero of the Year for coming out.
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‘I don’t know about anyone else, but I think it’s unlikely that I’m the only gay player on the tour,’ he told the tennis website Clay this year.
Reis da Silva came out in an Instagram post where he talked about his boyfriend, actor Guilherme Ricardo. “Happy birthday, happy life, I love you very much,” wrote Reis da Silva in a caption.
His coming out was a milestone in being the first out gay male tennis pro. He was joined in November when Switzerland’s Mika Brunold came out. “I feel it’s time for me to open up and share with you that I’m gay,” Brunold said. Brian Vahaly, the president of U.S. Tennis also played pro, but he came out after he retired.
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In October Reis da Silva said his focus was on tennis and that he would let his play be his advocacy.
“I don’t want to be an example,” Reis da Silva said in an interview with the Argentine website La Nacion. “I’m at my highest ranking for focusing 100 percent on tennis, and I don’t want that to change. I want to keep improving.
“At first, when I told people [he was gay], it was difficult for me because my routine didn’t change, but other things came to mind. I was offered to do advertisements, campaigns, talks… and I didn’t want to. A tennis player already has a lot of pressure and things going through their mind. And the simpler your day-to-day life is, the better you can handle things on the court.”
Reis da Silva has had an incredibly successful year on the tennis court while navigating the publicity of his coming out. So far in 2025, Reis da Silva climbed more 200 spots in the ATP singles rankings from a low of 429 to currently 203. So far in 2025, he has earned $106,649 in prize money for his playing in singles (and $7,834 for doubles).
In an interview with CNN, Reis da Silva said his Instagram coming out post was spur of the moment and it got overwhelming support. The best thing, though, was the reaction from fellow players. “It changed nothing, and it was the best thing for me.”
Previous winners of the Outsports Male Athlete of the Year Award
2024: Nico Young and Merrick McHenry
2023: Bruce Mouat
2022: Guillaume Cizeron
2021: Tom Daley, Sir Lee Pearson
2020: Rob Kearney
2019: 8 out gay and bi college football players
2018: Eric Radford
2017: Robbie Manson
2016: Orlando Cruz
2015: Eric Radford
2014: Robbie Rogers
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The post Tennis pro Joao Lucas Reis da Silva is Outsports’ Male Athlete of the Year appeared first on Outsports.
