Brazilian professional tennis player João Lucas Reis da Silva is still making waves online with his heartfelt birthday post for his rumored partner. Although João hasn’t officially come out yet, his post has sparked widespread support from fans, LGBTQ+ allies, and the tennis community. Many are celebrating the possibility that João could become the first active openly gay male professional tennis player, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history. So let’s get to meet him now, shall we?
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The 24-year-old tennis player was born on March 26, 2000 in Recife, Pernambuco but is currently based in São Paulo, Brazil. He started playing tennis at a very young age of 4 and shifted to playing professionally at the age of 16. João has since built a career competing in various ATP Challenger and ITF tournaments.
He currently ranks no. 401 in singles and no. 367 in doubles with a career high of no. 204 in doubles in 2023. He plays right-handed and specializes in clay courts, which are his preferred surface.
In Brazil, he’s currently ranked at no. 11, and it seems that the young pro’s career ranking is only going upwards at this point.
INCREDIBLE 🤯
Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva triumphs over Dedura-Palomero 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-2 to secure a spot in the last eight#ATPChallenger | @LegionSudam pic.twitter.com/XdUzO9FAde
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 28, 2024
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Based on João’s Instagram, with over 16K followers, it looks like the young athlete is a fan of the outdoors. He often shares pictures of him shirtless and showing off his six-pack abs, while he’s on the beach or on a hike.
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A few months ago, João Lucas Reis da Silva and his doubles partner, Benjamin Lock, delivered an impressive performance at the ATP Challenger 75 in Bogotá. The duo advanced all the way to the finals, ultimately finishing as runners-up. This achievement highlighted their strong teamwork and competitiveness on the doubles circuit, further solidifying their presence in professional tennis.
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João Lucas Reis da Silva appeared to come out as LGBTQ+ through a heartfelt Instagram post, where he wished his rumored partner a happy birthday and even gave a sweet “i love you.” This makes João the first active male ATP tennis player to publicly identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, should he explicitly confirm this in the future.
