Taylor Fritz stated that if a males’s participant on the ATP Tour got here out as homosexual, he could be welcomed by his friends, the top-ranked American informed tennis publication Clay.
While main gamers previous and current on the WTA Tour have come out as homosexual, no male participant competing on the sport’s prime stage has achieved the identical thus far.
“I’m not sure if there are homosexual tennis players in the top 100,” Fritz stated in an interview printed on Sunday. “Statistically speaking, there should be. … I think it is odd, because I feel like a player would be accepted.
“Myself and my friends, other players on tour wouldn’t have any issues with it, it would be totally normal and I think people would be accepting.”
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The 25-year-old world quantity 9 stated gamers could also be reluctant to return out due to the eye that may include it.
“I couldn’t tell you why (no one has came out),” Fritz stated.
“That would be a lot of big news and maybe people just don’t want to be in the spotlight, maybe they don’t want the distraction of getting all the attention and stuff like that.”
Another motive could also be that these gamers don’t need to danger being on the receiving finish of abusive language or being alienated by their friends.
Myself and my pals, different gamers on tour wouldn’t have any points with it, it could be completely regular and I believe folks could be accepting.
— Taylor Fritz
An ATP Tour survey of gamers earlier this yr discovered that 75 per cent had reported having heard different gamers use homophobic slurs, main the tour to companion with You Can Play, a corporation dedicated to furthering LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports activities.
The survey additionally indicated a “strong fear of rejection, isolation from others on tour, and loneliness” as being possible obstacles to LGBTQ+ gamers’ publicly disclosing their sexuality to others.
It additionally discovered overwhelming help for ATP’s taking motion to fight homophobia.