Mika Brunold thanked Jo\u00e3o Lucas Reis da Silva for inspiring him to come out after beating him in a historic ATP Challenger Tour final.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old Swiss, ranked No. 410 in the world, defeated 26-year-old Brazilian Reis da Silva 6-4, 6-3 to win the Tulln Challenger in Austria on Sunday and claim his first Challenger title.<\/p>\n
The world No. 282 became the first active male professional tennis player to publicly come out as gay in December 2024, before Brunold became the second in November 2025. Their meeting in Tulln was the first professional men\u2019s final contested by two out gay players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to thank you,\u201d Brunold told Reis da Silva during the trophy ceremony. \u201cOne year after your coming out, I did too. You were a big inspiration for me and I\u2019m really proud of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
WHAT A MOMENT \ud83c\udfbe\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n
During the Tulln Challenger trophy ceremony, Mika Brunold thanks Joao Lucas Reis da Silva for inspiring him to come out and says they can help people struggling with their sexuality. <\/p>\n
Never thought I\u2019d see the day! pic.twitter.com\/NOKsT2Q6bk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Gay Tennis Pod (@thegaytennispod) September 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Brunold said the pair could be role models for people struggling with their sexuality before thanking his opponent and wishing him luck for the future.<\/p>\n Reis da Silva made his sexuality public through an Instagram post celebrating the birthday of his then-boyfriend, actor and model Gui Sampaio Ricardo. During an interview later that month, Reis da Silva said<\/a> he had not intended to make a wider statement with the post, but hoped his visibility could make it easier for others.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe if I had had someone playing saying, \u2018I\u2019m gay, I\u2019m here, I\u2019m competing for the big tournaments,\u2019 it would have been easier for me to accept myself and to love myself,\u201d Reis da Silva said.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople have told me that they admire me. That I inspire people. So it\u2019s a big deal for me and them.\u201d<\/p>\n Brunold came through qualifying in Tulln, winning seven matches during the tournament to secure the title. Reis da Silva reached the final without dropping a set, before the Swiss ended his run \u2014 and before they stood together at the end.<\/p>\n