“If there’s a gay player in the locker room, nothing happens” – Diego Schwartzman voices his support for the LGBTQ community
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Tennis athletes are often asked to stick to speaking about their sport, and to refrain from airing their opinions on other subjects. But many of today’s tennis players have refused to limit their talk to just the sport. Players like Naomi Osaka, Frances Tiafoe and Coco Gauff have led the fight against racial injustice and police brutality over the past year however, one aspect of diversity that is yet to be seen in the tennis world is an active player on the ATP tour coming out as a part of the LGBTQ community.
For most in today’s generation, who constantly strive towards inclusiveness and equality, sexual orientation is supposedly not a big deal anymore and in that context, it’s heartening to see Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman publicly support the LGBTQ community.
In a recent interview with LA NACION, Schwartzman said, “I can’t understand it (racism, discrimination). I don’t know… It could also be that it generates something extra for me because of the bullying that I suffered at a certain moment because of my height or hearing ‘you are not going to play anything’. But I can’t quite understand why some act like this,”
Further extending his conversation to sexual orientation, the 28 year-old said, “There are also sports in which they begin to wonder if there are gay players or not, and the truth is that it is not understood,” the Argentine said. “And if there is a gay player in the locker room, what happens? Nothing happens!”
Federer, Murray and Djokovic have been vocal about their opinion on the same
Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, Roger Federer had mentioned back in 2013 that a player coming out as gay would not change his perspective towards him.
“I don’t think it’s a problem to be honest. We are relaxed and don’t play team sport and mix a lot, not with the girls, but with the guys and we’re very open,” Federer had said.
On a rare occasion, World no.1 Novak Djokovic and the Swiss do not have extreme opinions on the same subject. “It’s everybody’s right to have sexual orientation as they desire, any kind of direction in life they desire. I respect it. I don’t see people differently if they come out like that. I actually see that as a really courageous move,” Djokovic had responded when asked about the issue in 2018.
Former World No.1, Andy Murray shares the same sentiment and it comes as no surprise as the three-time Major winner has been a propagator for women’s rights and equality throughout his career.
“I don’t see why anyone has a problem with two people who love each other getting married. You know, if it’s two men, two women, that’s great. I don’t see why it should matter. It’s not anyone else’s business. Everyone should have, in my opinion, the same rights,” Murray had stated in 2017.
“It was something I inevitably came to terms with” – Brian Vahaly on his journey as a gay player on the ATP tour
Former World No. 64, Brian Vahaly, who is currently a member of the USTA’s Board of Directors, is among the very few former male tennis pros who have come out as gay. He has also spoken about his first-hand experience of being gay and competing on the ATP tour.
Vahaly admitted that the long process of coming to terms with his sexuality had a major impact on his pro career saying, “It was tough, and I’d never felt there were people in sports I could talk about it with because I just knew it was such a hyper-masculine and intense environment and I knew they weren’t really going to understand.”
“Frankly, it’s also tough to be vulnerable with players you’re competing against because we’re out there fighting for the same pay cheque. It was something I inevitably came to terms with,” he further added.
Tennis has historically been viewed as an aristocratic sport. But several barriers have been broken over the years thanks to the efforts of Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King, the Williams sisters and many other champions, who have emerged from every nook and corner of the world to show that nothing is impossible.
Also Read: “Now I can retire saying that I beat Nadal” – Diego Schwartzman talks about the ‘Big Three’
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Nihar Khopkar
(191 Articles Published)