In 2017, American Brian Vahaly grew to become the primary ATP participant to return out as homosexual – a decade after he ended his skilled profession.
Till Reis da Silva, no energetic participant on the boys’s tour has felt comfy to do the identical factor.
Other than an absence of position fashions, varied different causes have been put ahead.
Travelling to nations the place homosexuality is against the law and the hypermasculinity of the ATP Tour locker rooms are often cited.
“After I was within the closet, I used to listen to quite a lot of unhealthy feedback about homosexuality and homosexual individuals – within the locker rooms and across the courts. It was day after day,” stated Reis da Silva.
“After I got here out to my associates and the individuals round me, I ended listening to these issues – that’s vital.
“When these individuals have somebody who’s homosexual round them, they cease making these feedback and it creates a greater surroundings.”
The quantity of consideration that Reis da Silva has acquired, significantly from abroad, appears to have triggered a component of bemusement to the participant and his companion.
What feels so pure to the couple has attracted interview requests from journalists throughout South America, america and Europe.
Reis da Silva has acquired messages of help from King, in addition to main Brazilian gamers Thiago Monteiro and Bruno Soares.
The variety of his Instagram followers has climbed from 7,800 to over 25,000.
Reis da Silva has felt a “completely different power” – in actual life and on-line – for the reason that publish.
As soon as the shock of the eye subsided, the vibe of positivity allowed his recreation to flourish.
The next week he received the Procopio Cup in Rio de Janeiro, incomes himself a coveted spot within the qualifying draw for the town’s ATP 500 occasion in February.
“It’s superb what number of good messages I acquired – individuals saying they admired me and I impressed them. I liked to learn that,” Reis da Silva stated.
“I used to be afraid of the hate and other people saying unhealthy issues – however I did not obtain a lot of that. It was only a tiny half. The positivity has been overwhelming.
“Possibly it was only a coincidence that I received after the publish, possibly it was one thing completely different.”