Greg Slade hopes the overwhelmingly positive response to his coming out post can inspire other gay men in tennis to feel good about being themselves.
The British wheelchair star went public with his sexuality on Instagram ahead of the Australian Open, becoming one of the few openly gay professional male tennis players.
Mr Slade admitted he posted the post with some trepidation, but said he was extremely encouraged by the response.
“There are definitely very few players in professional tennis, so there were definitely times when I wondered if it was a good idea for me to do this,” the 23-year-old told the Press Association.
“Of course, I had doubts about whether it was right for me, because it’s always really difficult to be the first one on any kind of issue within a society or within a minority. You’re actually going to places where very few people have gone before.
“I was worried about the reaction from some people. I was worried that the reaction would be too loud and it would blow my face and ruin my preparations for this event.
“Or maybe I was doing myself a disservice by making bigger posts and bigger announcements because I’m not a very flashy person? So I thought, ‘Is this the right thing for me?'”
Commenting on the reaction, he added: “There have been some (negative) incidents here and there, but there will always be.
“In reality, you’re talking about a handful of people compared to the literally thousands of people who have reached out to this work, liked it, watched it, followed it, offered their support. The response has been largely very positive. It’s been really great.”
Mr Slade’s announcement followed those of Brazilian Joao Lucas Reis da Silva and Swiss Mika Brunold, who played in the Australian Open qualifiers.
Slade was inspired to follow suit after Brunold posted an Instagram post in November, followed by messages of support.
“It was really gratifying for me to see how positive his reaction was,” said Slade, who won the 2024 Paralympic silver medal.
“I recognized that I was in a privileged and very unique position as someone who could play in a Grand Slam and have a voice and feel comfortable doing so.
“I had an epiphany, if you like, ‘I really should work on this. I should do it now.'”
Stars in men’s sports remain scarce, and tennis is no exception, with Reis da Silva, ranked 207th, participating in Australian Open qualifying for the first time.
Slade was instrumental in working with Pride in Tennis, the UK network for LGBTQ+ players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans, to support the organization’s efforts to raise awareness and visibility.
“Hopefully, over time, problems like this will snowball and become less of an issue,” he said.
“So if I can be a part of that early stage and help just one person — it doesn’t have to be a top 100 player, it doesn’t have to be someone big name. But I’ve gotten messages from people saying, ‘Oh, I play for a club and I don’t feel like I can be open with the guys on a club team. Your story inspires me.’ So that’s what I do.”
For high-profile professional players who are wondering whether to come out, Slade’s message is one of understanding and positivity.
“To those people, if you can, say it on your own time,” he said. “You do what you want. I guess the grass is really greener on the other side. I’m looking forward to that day. I hope that day comes soon.”
“Eventually, I’m sure one of these guys will make the leap, but it really just shows the others that what’s ahead is love, support, and friendship.
“I hope that in years to come, when I can look back on my journey and my career, I will be proud to have been a part of it.”
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