In 2017, American Brian Vahaly became the first ATP player to come out as gay – a decade after he ended his professional career.
Until Reis da Silva, no active player on the men’s tour has felt comfortable to do the same thing.
Aside from a lack of role models, various other reasons have been put forward.
Travelling to countries where homosexuality is illegal and the hypermasculinity of the ATP Tour locker rooms are frequently cited.
“When I was in the closet, I used to hear a lot of bad comments about homosexuality and gay people – in the locker rooms and around the courts. It was day after day,” said Reis da Silva.
“After I came out to my friends and the people around me, I stopped hearing those things – that is important.
“When these people have someone who is gay around them, they stop making these comments and it creates a better environment.”
The amount of attention that Reis da Silva has received, particularly from overseas, seems to have caused an element of bemusement to the player and his partner.
What feels so natural to the couple has attracted interview requests from journalists across South America, the United States and Europe.
Reis da Silva has received messages of support from King, as well as leading Brazilian players Thiago Monteiro and Bruno Soares.
The number of his Instagram followers has climbed from 7,800 to over 25,000.
Reis da Silva has felt a “different energy” – in real life and online – since the post.
Once the shock of the attention subsided, the vibe of positivity allowed his game to flourish.
The following week he won the Procopio Cup in Rio de Janeiro, earning himself a coveted spot in the qualifying draw for the city’s ATP 500 event in February.
“It is amazing how many good messages I received – people saying they admired me and I inspired them. I loved to read that,” Reis da Silva said.
“I was scared of the hate and people saying bad things – but I didn’t receive much of that. It was just a tiny part. The positivity has been overwhelming.
“Maybe it was just a coincidence that I won after the post, maybe it was something different.”
