World No. 266 Joao Lucas Reis da Silva picked up his first-ever ATP Challenger triumph at the 2025 Santa Fe Challenger last week. The Brazilian is the first active male pro tennis player to have come out as gay, marking a rather watershed moment for the LGBTQIA+ community in Pride Month.Reis da Silva has played competitively since 2016 and achieved his career-high ATP singles ranking of 259 in May 2023. Before this week, the 25-year-old had previously won two ITF singles titles while finishing runner-up at a Challenger-level event on three occasions.The Brazilian player recently enjoyed the best singles campaign of his career at the 2025 AAT Challenger Santander edición Santa Fe. He didn't drop a set en route to his maiden Challenger title victory, beating Argentina's Lautaro Midon in the final. By virtue of his triumph, he gained 50 ranking points and took home $8,350 in prize money.For those unaware, Joao Lucas Reis da Silva has been honest about his sexuality for quite some time. In December 2024, he even posted pictures with his boyfriend, Guilherme Sampaio Ricardo. Having yet to get on the ATP Challenger-winners' board back then, he told BBC in January this year that his friends and team had known about the couple for several years."This wasn't the time I came out. I came out before that. About five years ago I told my parents, friends, coaches and players who I train with," Joao Reis da Silva said in January 2025. "But I understand a lot of people who don't know me didn't know that. So the post was a big thing and created a big buzz. I didn't know I was the first [active player to come out publicly]. It wasn't my goal to do that, or to inspire people." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostReis da Silva has also previously talked about Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova's influence on female tennis players who have a different sexual orientation. The discourse surrounding the Brazilian, especially in Pride Month, will hopefully pave the way for other gay players to come out.Joao Lucas Reis da Silva: "The gay women's players are used to having someone like Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova"Joao Lucas Reis da Silva in action at Wimbledon Boys' Singles in 2018 | Image Source: GettyIn the same interview with BBC, Joao Lucas Reis da Silva insisted that while he wasn't an LGBTQIA+ activist per se, he did acknowledge that him and a few players from the past had possibly made it easier for other pros to be in the open with their sexuality."I'm not an activist, I'm just a tennis player who is gay. But if more men's players came out as a result, that would be great. The gay women's players are used to having someone before them - like Billie Jean and Martina," Joao Lucas Reis da Silva said. "They have these people who are out and I think it means it is easier for them to talk about their own sexuality."Former World No. 64 Brian Vahaly was the first ATP player in recent tennis history to come out as gay in 2017.