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Tennis star player Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva has recently made history as the first active professional male player to come out as gay. The 24-year-old star player shared a series of photos with actor and model Gui Sampaio Ricardo on Instagram, wishing him a happy birthday. The great player took to social media and shared the photos with the actor to celebrate Ricardo's birthday.
This announcement on Instagram marks a significant achievement in the tennis fraternity, a sport where LGBTQ+ representation among male players has been notably absent until now.
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Happy Birthday. Happy Life. I love you very much: Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva
"Happy Birthday. Happy Life. I love you very much," Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva wrote, putting a spotlight on their relationship.
His partner, Gui Sampaio Ricardo, responded, "Te amo (I love you)."
The Brazilian is currently ranked 401 in the singles of the ATP tour, having reached a career peak of 259 back in May 2023. The star player made it to the semifinal thriller of the Temuco Challenger in Chile last month and was a finalist at home earlier this year.
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On the other hand, his highest doubles ranking was 204 in November 2023. In that year itself, the Brazilian won his doubles title alongside Boscardin Dias. Notably, he is the first male player to come out as gay; however, former world number 63 Brian Bahaly also opened up about his relationship with Bill Jones.
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Notably, there are many openly gay tennis professionals, including Nadia Podoroska, Greet Minnen, Demi Schuurs, and Daria Kasatkina.