"I did not fall in love with you, your love pushed me to it..."
If you let a few tweets tell it, pro tennis player Fabien Reboul, has come out. The notion comes from a photo that Reboul posted to Instagram Stories.
Reboul, who is currently the doubles World number 54 ranking (a career high,) posted a photo of himself kissing fellow French player Maxence Broville. On top of the image, the Association of Tennis Professionals player who played at Wimbledon for the first time this July wrote "I did not fall in love with you, your love pushed me to it."
The two are wearing their kits from the Slade Toulousain Tennis Club that they are both a part of, complete with blazers, button down shirts and khakis. Broville reposted the image to his Instagram stories with an emoji featuring hands making a heart.
In addition, in a carousel of images posted today, Broville also posted an image of the pair seemingly before or after the kiss, looking into each other's eyes. Neither player has posted anything about the photos to confirm whether they were in earnest or jest. If they were to confirm their relationship, they would be the ATP's first gay couple.
It could very well be a joke. Littered over their Instagram accounts is the standard fake thirst comments that teammates often indulge in. This comes after increased LGBTQ+ presence across a variety of sports including hockey, American football, soccer, and more. Stars like soccer player Josh Cavallo, American football player Carl Nassib, pro basketball player Isaac Humphries, and the pro drag racer Travis Shumake, have all opened up about their sexuality. Reboul took to social media on Monday to post a picture where he was seen sharing a kiss with fellow French ATP player Maxence Broville and shared a lovely message regarding their relationship. Both players have not yet confirmed their relationship, but Reboul supposedly coming out as gay promises to be a step in the right direction when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation on the men's tour.
If confirmed, Reboul and Broville would be the first gay couple on the ATP tour.
"I did not fall in love with you, your love pushed me to it," Reboul captioned his Instagram post with Broville.
27-year-old Reboul is an active doubles player on the ATP tour and is currently ranked No. 54 in the doubles rankings. Reboul played at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open this year. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Broville actively plays on the ITF tour and is currently ranked No. 945 in the ATP singles rankings.
Back in July, a survey conducted on the men's tennis tour revealed that 75% of participants had confirmed that they had heard homophobic slurs being used on tour. The ATP then announced that they were initiating a multiyear educational partnership with You Can Play to increase awareness and promote the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community on tour.
While there is still a way to go for LGBTQ+ inclusion in men's tennis, the WTA circuit has been far more progressive over the years. The likes of Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, and most recently Daria Kasatkina are among many female players who have openly come out as gay over the years, despite facing many challenges along the way.
Earlier this year, Kasatkina revealed she was in a relationship with Russian Olympic athlete Natalie Zabiiako. Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff stressed the importance of Kasatkina's revelation, lauding her for coming out.
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