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Tennis star Karolina Pliskova has stepped up to show her support for Czech Republic international footballer Jakub Jankto, who recently publicly came out as gay.
Jakub Jankto, the Getafe midfielder currently on loan at Sparta Prague, disclosed that he is gay, making him the highest-profile male footballer to publicly do so in recent years. The 27-year-old follows in the footsteps of Josh Cavallo of Adelaide United and Jake Daniels of Blackpool, who both revealed their sexual orientation in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Jankto's courage in coming out is an inspiration to athletes everywhere, and Pliskova's support is a testament to her commitment to creating a more inclusive and understanding environment for all athletes.
Karolina Pliskova took to Twitter to express her support for Jankto. The Czech tennis star showed her solidarity with a heartfelt message. The gesture was met with appreciation from Jankto's fans.
"Respect! I wish you all the best #loveforall," wrote Pliskova.
Jakun Jankto's coming out makes him the first openly gay player in La Liga. He shared a video of him disclosing it on Twitter.
“Like everybody else, I have my strengths. I have my weaknesses. I have a family. I have my friends. I have a job which I have been doing it as best as I can, for years, with seriousness, professionalism and passion," he said.
"Like everybody else, I also want to live my life in freedom. Without fears. Without prejudice. Without violence. But with love. I am homosexual and I no longer want to hide myself,” Jankto added.
Karolina Pliskova's show of solidarity is a powerful reminder of the importance of acceptance and inclusion in the sports world.
Karolina Pliskova defeats Canada's Leylah Fernandez in Qatar Total Open
Karolina Pliskova expertly maneuvered her way through the qualifying rounds at the 2023 Qatar Total Open. The 2017 title holder, who is no stranger to success, defeated former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in two sets, 6-2, 7-5, to secure her place in the main draw.
The World No. 20 played Fernandez after defeating Ana Bogdan 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and Harriet Dart 6-1, 6-2. In the qualifiers, the 30-year-old had a dominant straight sets win against Dart (6-1, 6-2). During the match, Pliskova was a force to be reckoned with, scoring 56 points to Dart's 29. She was aggressive, blasting 20 winners to secure her victory.
The Czech player will take on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the upcoming round of the competition.
