Mika Brunold has become just the second male tennis player to openly come out as gay while competing as an active player on the ATP Tour.
The rising Swiss star, currently ranked 310th in the world, revealed the news in a powerful message on Instagram over the weekend.
The 21-year-old follows in the footsteps of Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva, who became the ATP Tour’s firstly openly gay active player last year.
Brunold, who has won three singles titles on the ITF Tour and reached the semi-finals of two ATP Tour Challenger events in 2025, spoke about the ‘the fear of not being accepted’ and ‘pressure to stay quiet’ over being gay.
Brunold: I’m proud of who I am
But Brunold says he is ‘proud’ to be a member of the LGBT+ community and wanted to be true to himself as he made a statement on social media.
‘I want to share something personal with you,’ Brunold posted. ‘As a professional tennis player, I’ve spent countless hours working on my game, my body, and my mindset.
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‘Through all of this, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that success on the court isn’t just about physical skill — it’s about discovering your personality and staying true to yourself.
‘I’ve been thinking a lot about how to talk about this. And 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 it’s time for me to open up and share with you that I’m gay.
‘Being gay doesn’t mean loving the same gender – it also means dealing with things most people never have to think about.
‘The fear of not being accepted, the pressure to stay quiet, the feeling of being different. But I’ve grown. And I’m proud of who I am today.
‘I’m sharing this with you to take a step for myself, but also because I think it’s not talked about enough in sports.
‘I believe that in an ideal world, we wouldn’t even need to ‘come out’ at all.
‘I’m deeply grateful for everyone who supported me. Without you, I would never be the person I am today.’
Four-time Grand Slam winner and former world No.1 Kim Clijsters responded to Brunold’s post with a heart emoji.
German tennis player Eva Lys, currently ranked world No.40 on the WTA Tour, posted three clapping emojis in the comments section too.
Former NBA star Jason Collins, who is openly gay, wrote: ‘Wishing you all the success & happiness in the world! Congratulations for stepping forward and showing us what true strength, courage, and bravery looks like. All the best.’