The first professional men’s tennis match between two openly gay players took place in Austria on Sunday, The Gay Tennis Pod highlighted in a post on X over the weekend.
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Switzerland’s Mika Brunold faced Brazil’s João Lucas Reis da Silva in the final of the Tulln Challenger, defeating him in two sets (6-4, 6-3).
The win arrived less than a year after he became just the second openly gay men’s tennis pro.
The first? Reis da Silva, who came out in an Instagram post celebrating his boyfriend’s birthday back in 2024.
Brunold made sure to thank Reis da Silva following his victory.
“One year after your coming out, I did mine and you were a big inspiration for me and I’m really proud of us,” said Brunold as Reis da Silva watched his post-match remarks.
“We can be role models for so many people who struggle with their sexuality so thank you so much and good luck for your future.”
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Brunold — in a post to his Instagram last November — wrote that being gay for him didn’t just mean “loving the same gender.”
He continued, “It also means dealing with things most people never have to think about: The fear of not being accepted, the pressure to stay quiet, the feeling of being different. But I’ve grown. and I’m proud of who I am today.”
Reis da Silva made history at last year’s U.S. Open when he became the first openly gay men’s tennis pro to compete in a qualifier at a Grand Slam tournament.
After Reis da Silva shared a selfie of him and his boyfriend in 2024, something felt “normal” to him despite it being rare to find gay men pros in his sport, he revealed to The Athletic that he was met with an overwhelmingly “positive” response.
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