Top 5 Tennis Players you never thought were homosexuals

The upburst in the LGBT Community’s activities worldwide have not left any sector untouched. Sports, too, has not been virgin to this discussion about sportsmen who have been gays and lesbians. In some cases, sportsmen have used this channel as a means of publicity only, whereas in some cases, very successful and famous sportsmen have came out as homosexuals.

Tennis is one of the world’s most gay-friendly sports. Many former champions are openly gay and lesbians. At the social level, so many gay men and lesbian women play tennis that every major city boasts its own gay tennis club.

Here is my Top 5 list of tennis players you never thought were homosexuals:

(5) Bill Tilden

“A Tennis Star Defeated Only by Himself”

Country: United States of America
Duration: 1920s, 1930s
Grand Slams: 10

William Tatem Tilden II, nicknamed “Big Bill,” is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He dominated the world of international tennis in the first half of the 1920s and was the World No.1 player for seven years with 15 Majors: ten Grand Slams, the 1921 World Hard Court Championships and four pro slams to his credit.

It was Tilden’s personal life and his fascination for teenage boys that made him a controversial character. During the best years of his career, many had speculated that he was gay, but given his greatness, no one questioned him. In 1940s, however, he was charged with lewd behavior with a minor, and with crimes against nature. It was then that he declared himself openly gay, and went to jail for several underage-unnatural-sex scandals.

(4) Lisa Raymond

“One of the best present day doubles stars”

Country: United States of America
Duration: 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
Grand Slams: 11
Olympic medals: 1

Regarded as one of the best doubles and mixed-doubles player in the present day women’s tennis, Raymond has 11 Grand Slam titles to her name. In a career expanding 2 decades (and continuing), she first conquered the top spot in ATP doubles ranking in June 2000, and has done it on several occasions since then. She also has the distinction of winning a Olympic medal.

Raymond openly acknowledges her lesbianism, and was in a long relationship with her former doubles partner Rennae Stubbs (also in our list, but not top 5).

According to Raymond, “I came out because I knew that there would be life after tennis, and being gay and playing tennis is not a big deal. There have been a lot of women in sports that have come out, and it’s not seen as anything ‘wow’.”

(3) Gigi Fernández

“The most beautiful tennis star of her times”

Country: Puerto Rico / USA
Duration: 1980s, 1990s
Grand Slams: 17
Olympic medals: 2

The first Puerto Rican female athlete to turn professional, first to win an Olympic gold medal and first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Gigi Fernández was a role model for numerous girls of her country.

Fernandez won 17 Grand Slam doubles titles and two Olympic gold medals representing the United States of America. Given her enormous success, the World No. 1 ranking in women’s doubles was not aloof. Highly regarded as one of the most beautiful tennis stars of her era, Fernández has been an entrepreneur and tennis coach since her retirement in 1997.

Although Fernandez came out publicly as being a lesbian at a time her career was at its peak, her globe-trotting career made it extremely difficult for her to sustain a long-term relationship. Thus she waited. Till the year she retired. She met Jane Geddes, four years older and an 11-time winner on the LPGA tour. Presently the couple are happy parents to two children.

(2) Billie Jean King

“The greatest competitor I’ve ever known”: Margaret Court (winner of maximum Grand Slam titles)

Country: United States of America
Duration: Late 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, early 1980s
Grand Slams: 39

A true innovator, Billie Jean King started a new era in world tennis by founding the Women’s Tennis Association, the Women’s Sports Foundation, and the World Team Tennis. Having won 39 Grand Slams titles in total (12 singles, 16 women’s doubles and 11 mixed doubles titles), her win-loss record is >80% in all types of competitions she participated in, including all Grand Slams. She has always been an advocate for sexual equality and had also won “The Battle of the Sexes” tennis competition in 1973.

In the late 1960s King began to have affairs with women. She had a natural marriage with Larry King, but their relationship was extremely distant as her career blossomed.

She had kept her attraction towards and relationships with women hidden for long. In 1981, she reluctantly came out a lesbian when Marilyn Barnett (an ex-lover and personal secretary), outed her by filing a very public palimony suit. Although King admitted the affair to the world, she called it a “mistake” and tried to hide behind her marriage, and thus never acknowledged then that she was a lesbian.

The main reason, she admitted, she didn’t come out publicly was the fear of losing all sponsors. However, this lawsuit actually made her financially very weak with no sponsor supporting her.

Later King said that coming out publicly as a lesbian was her “longest, hardest journey”. Presently she has become an international leader in seeking recognition and equal rights for gays and lesbians.

(1) Martina Navratilova

“The greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived”: Billie Jean King

Country: Czech Republic / United States of America
Duration: Late 1970s, 1980s, early 1990s, Mid 2000s
Grand Slams: 59

59 Grand Slams in an esteemed career is something which speaks a lot about the player’s calibre. Apart from that, Navratilova has accomplished an extremely rare feat of completing a career Grand Slam in singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles (called the Grand Slam “boxed set”). She is also the only person of either sex to have won eight different tournaments at least seven times.

Navratilova specially proved her mettle and will-power when she returned to courts few years back during her late 40s.

Martina Navratilova came out publicly in 1991 through The Advocate. As a consequence, she started losing support from her sponsors and was treated like a pariah in the world of tennis. Her lesbianism was considered a contrast to the image women’s tennis was trying to display.

Martina has also been famous for expensive break-ups with her girlfriends. She settled with one of her ex-lovers Toni Layton for an estimated $3 million in 2010. Long back, in 1991, Navratilova had split with Judy Nelson after a long relationship of eight years and paid a rumored $3.5 million. Presently, Navratilova is involved with various charities that benefit gay and lesbian rights.

Here are 4 other great tennis players who missed out on the top 5:

 Helen Jacobs

Country: United States of America
Duration: Late 1920s, 1930s, early 1940s
Grand Slams: 10

Having won 10 Grand Slams titles in women’s tennis during the 1930s says a lot about this great tennis player. Apart from tennis, she was also involved in the US Navy intelligence during World War II in the capacity of a commander.

Long known to have been lesbian, Helen’s lifelong companion was Virginia Gurnee. Helen managed her game and her sexual inclination without any controversy worrying her.

Rennae Stubbs

Country: Australia
Duration: 1990s, 2000s, Early 2010s
Grand Slams: 6

The major achievements that define Rennae Stubbs have been 6 Grand Slams titles, and 4 consecutive Olympic representation. She is also the longest-serving member of the Australia Fed Cup team: 17 years.

Rennae Stubbs has a reputation for being frank and honest about her sexuality. She admits getting positive reinforcement and positive comments from fans after she came out. She was in a long term relationship with former doubles partner Lisa Raymond.

Rennae, once in an interview, said, “I’d just like to be a little bit more open about it now because I want some 16-year-old girl out there to think, ‘It’s OK’. All it is is somebody loving somebody. And it would be nice if everybody could just accept that it’s not a choice, this is who you are. You would never, ever choose this, choose to be gay. It’s such a difficult thing to deal with and coming out to people and talking about it, and coming out to your family.”

Amélie Mauresmo

Country: France
Duration: 1990s, 2000s
Grand Slams: 2
Olympics medals: 1

The most famous homosexual present day tennis player Amélie Mauresmo has been there, done that: World No.1, Grand Slam titles, and an Olympic medal. After being active on the court for about 10 years, Mauresmo retired in 2009.

When the international media repeatedly troubled Mauresmo, asking her about boyfriends, then one fine day before the finals of the 1999 Australian Open, Mauresmo came out (about her girlfriend) in an simple, yet strong fashion: “You can say she’s my girlfriend. You can write about her. I don’t want to hide Sylvie. I love her.” The prevalent rumors about her sexuality immediately stopped!

Mauresmo’s disclosure of her sexuality seemed to do little to hurt her career or the image of the sport. Her major sponsors stuck with her and supported her decision to come out.

She is not a public crusaders for LGBT issues, but has kept her sexuality to herself. She has been seen in the spectators boxes with her girlfriends and the television cameras often cut to a shot of her girlfriend in the stands.