The gay internet is abuzz with the news that Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva -- a 24-year-old Brazilian tennis player currently ranked 367 in the world -- has revealed his homosexuality by wishing his boyfriend a happy birthday on Instagram. He's being called the first active male pro player to come out publicly.
*Today's news is obviously a huge step forward -- the women's game has a number of out players, and only a handful of ATP players have come out even after retirement -- although it would be more newsworthy if he were playing on the ATP level rather than the tiers below it.
What is extremely newsworthy, however, is how hot he and his actor/model boyfriend are, which you can see for yourself BELOW.
He captioned the images: "Happy birthday. Happy life. I love you so much." Follow HERE.
His boyfriend is actor and model Gui Sampaio Ricardo, seen here in a theatrical production in Rio of “Bent,” Martin Sherman's 1979 about the Nazi persecution of gays.
In action
And here he is reaching the Challenger 75 doubles final in Bogota with Ben Lock
Former world No. 64 Brian Vahaly -- pictured left, now married with children -- came out as gay in 2017, 10 years after retiring from the sport, and the American shed light on some of the barriers faced by gay male players. "I heard homophobic comments all the time in the locker room, to my face, behind my back," he told The Telegraph in 2018. "That was just a part of the culture."
The Virginia men’s tennis alum was recently elected the USTA chairman of the board and president for a two-year term that begins on Jan. 1, 2025.
I'd certainly have a few things to say behind him!
Here's Brian with husband Bill Jones and their twin 5-year-old sons, Parker and Bennett -- as well as a couple of champions you might recognize -- at the 2021 U.S. Open Pride Night!
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