"I am proud of who I am today," Brunold, world No. 307, comes out

Mika Brunold, a 21-year-old Swiss professional player, revealed his homosexuality in an Instagram post in recent hours.

AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 30/11/2025 à 11h36

3 min to read

Brunold Reis Da Silva

Having had a quality 2025 season, Mika Brunold reached the best ranking of his career this year. At 21 years old, the Swiss player reached 289th place, before dropping to 307th in the ATP rankings, which he currently holds. On the Challenger Circuit, Brunold reached two semi-finals in 2025, at Nottingham and Royan. He also played in the quarter-finals at Zug, Roanne, and Koblenz.

In recent hours, Brunold made a major announcement, extremely rare for a male professional tennis player. Indeed, he publicly revealed his homosexuality in a message full of honesty and transparency posted on his Instagram account, while it remains a taboo subject in sports.

"I thought a lot about how I was going to talk about this"

"Today, I wanted to share something personal with you. As a professional tennis player, I have spent countless hours working on my game, my body, and my mentality. Through all of this, one of the most important things I have learned is that success on the court is not just about physical qualities, but also about discovering one's personality and staying true to oneself.

I thought a lot about how I was going to talk about this. While it hasn't always been easy, hiding it and pretending to be someone I'm not was never an option. That's why I feel now is the time for me to tell you that I am gay. Being gay doesn't just mean loving people of the same gender, it also means having to deal with things that people don't have to think about.

The fear of not being accepted, the pressure to remain silent, the feeling of being different. But I have grown. And I am proud of who I am today. I share this information with you because it is a new step for me, but also because it is a topic that is not discussed enough in sports.

I think in an ideal world, we wouldn't even need to come out. I am very grateful to all the people who have supported me. Without you, I wouldn't be the person I am today," Brunold wrote on his Instagram account.

A professional player's coming out, a rarity in the tennis world

Mika Brunold is the second active player on the ATP tour to publicly announce his homosexuality. Earlier this season, Brazilian João Lucas Reis Da Silva, 25 years old and world No. 191, became the first player to announce his homosexuality during his career.

In October, for La Nación, he stated: "It's really hard that homosexuality is not addressed in men's tennis. There is a lot of machismo. And there are stereotypes that want men to appear stronger and more masculine, but it's a bit sad.

I remember the time when I wasn't open and I was trying to appear different. And when I started meeting friends in Rio de Janeiro who were like me, that's when I understood that they had no problem. They weren't hiding anything. I felt good seeing people who were like me," Reis Da Silva explained last month.