A gay tennis player makes history at the 2026 Australian Open

The 2026 Australian Open, the year's opening Grand Slam, will take place on January 18, while the qualifying rounds kick off three days before.

Brazilian tennis player Joao Lucas Reis da Silva is on the verge of a historic milestone as he prepares to compete in the qualifiers of the 2026 Australian Open. He is set to become the first openly gay male player to participate in a Grand Slam tournament at the start of the season.

Reis da Silva arrived in Melbourne this week to get ready for the qualifying matches, which are expected to start early next week. To reach the main draw, the 25-year-old must win three consecutive matches. Even if he loses in the first round, he will still earn a prize of around $40,000 USD — a significant amount for players ranked outside the top 100.

His participation in the Australian Open marks another important milestone in Reis da Silva’s career. Previously, he became the first openly gay male player to compete on the ATP Tour and the first to enter the qualifying rounds of a Grand Slam (US Open) as an openly gay athlete.

Reis da Silva publicly came out at the end of 2024 through an emotional Instagram post celebrating his boyfriend Gui Sampaio Ricardo’s birthday. At that time, he was ranked outside the top 400 worldwide. Since coming out, the Brazilian player’s career has advanced significantly.

He has climbed more than 200 spots in the ATP rankings, reaching a career-high ranking of 187. Reis da Silva also won his first ATP Challenger title in Santa Fe during Pride Month last June. His win rate has notably improved from 46% to 61% this season.

Although he does not claim that coming out directly improved his performance, Reis da Silva emphasizes that it has not hindered his career in any way.

More importantly, the 25-year-old player is well aware of his role as a representative for the LGBTQ+ community in men's tennis. Reis da Silva shared that since coming out, he has received much support from fellow players and rarely hears discriminatory remarks on the court. “When people know I am gay, they show more respect and stop making negative comments,”he said.

Reis da Silva is not alone. Late last year, young Swiss player Mika Brunold also came out as gay. Although he has not yet qualified for Grand Slam qualifiers, the increasing number of openly gay male players indicates that men's tennis is becoming more inclusive.