The world of men’s tennis has witnessed phenomenal athletes, but when it comes to openly gay players, the historical landscape reveals a significant gap spanning nearly a century. To uncover the last openly gay male tennis player, one must travel back to the 1920s. Bill Tilden emerged as a beacon of courage and authenticity during an era where openly expressing one’s sexuality was met with significant challenges. In the 1920s, Tilden, an openly gay man, captured the tennis world’s attention winning three Wimbledon singles titles and six US Open titles as an amateur. His prowess continued into the 1930s, clinching two French pro titles and two US pro titles, solidifying his status as a tennis legend.Despite Tilden’s groundbreaking presence, openly gay male tennis players have been conspicuously absent from the professional circuit in the ensuing decades. The question arises: Why, in a more accepting and inclusive era, do we still lack representation of openly gay men in men’s tennis? The contrast between Tilden’s era and today prompts reflection on the barriers that may still exist for athletes to be open about their sexual orientation.
Bill Tilden
I have a lot of LGBT friends. I wrote a book with a trans, lead character. Consequently, I did a lot of research. Concerning your jab at gay, male tennis players. Who cares if they come out? They have their reasons. Our society has gone backwards many years and people still pass judgement. They have a lucrative career and maybe don’t want to jeopardize that by the negative response it would likely receive. Who the fuck knows and why should we even care? You lead your life as you choose, so let them live theirs
What about Arthur Ashe?
Why should we care if a tennis payer or anyone else is gay? It’s really none of our business. If they do the job they are doing what’s the problem? I don’t tell anyone I’m gay and the world goes by just fine.
Why should we care? because so many young male tennis players would just like to celebrate who we are, just like in women’s tennis
I’m sure some of the major tennis players are gay, but there is no requirement for a tennis player to divulge their sexual preferences. Some known Trans players have announced in the modern era. If one is a professional tennis player in today’s time, they are hounded by paparazzi and reporters to uncover all their lives, which I personally disapprove of.
Hello friends..
I believe that there are several gay men who play tennis professionally. Including those top 100 players, there are certainly some or several gays.. They don’t come out, for fear of losing sponsorship.. Which is a shame, because these men and women could serve as positive examples for other people to be proud of their healthy sexuality 🏳️🌈❤🌷
Well, back then, gay meant more than just same-sex; back then, only guys who sucked dick or took it up the ass were considered homosexuals. Oddly, they often have their male partners (who they allegedly had no emotional attachment to) tokens of affection, like buying a dinner or a painter or photographer giving that Marine he just blew a job as a model. That’s why Gore Vidal never considered himself gay: He never did penetration, and he and his partners were frank about the emotional side of their relationships at least.
A lot of modern ideas about gayness were from the mid-70s, ironically because of internalized homophobia: Now gay relationships had to mimic straight relationships, but gay men had to be inherently different so as to be nonthreatening, and neo-Freudian ideas about “full genital maturity” were all the rage.
Consider the born after 1980 set a gay renaissance. Or a gay Thermidor. Depending on your side of the issue.