Saturday, December 7, Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, a 24-year-old professional tennis player, did about the most normal thing anyone does these days. He posted a couple selfie on Instagram.

It was his partner’s birthday, so he posted a sweet carousel of them posing by the water in Rio de Janeiro. “I love you so much,” he wrote. The post made him a trailblazer — the first out gay active professional male tennis player — but he was just wishing his partner a happy birthday.

“I didn’t think about it… I just wanted to post a picture with him,” Reis da Silva told The Athletic Sunday from São Paolo, in his first international interview since he inadvertently made himself a part of tennis history.

About an hour earlier, he had won a tournament for the first time in four years, defeating Daniel Dutra da Silva 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to lift the Procopio Cup and earn a spot in the qualifying at the Rio Open, the ATP 500 event he has played the past two years. Not a bad few days for the world No. 367.

“It’s been a crazy week but in the end it was perfect,” he said. After two long injury layoffs, the 24-year-old said he has played the best tennis of his life of late, reaching the semifinals of a tournament in Chile before this run to the title in São Paulo. Even as he felt the tennis world watching him in a way it never had before.

“I didn’t feel pressure,” he said. “I was happy. I had my boyfriend here with me. He was supporting me. My whole team was here.”

The women’s tennis tour has had numerous out gay players, including all-time greats Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who won 98 Grand Slam titles between them across singles and doubles.

Men’s tennis has not been this way. Bill Tilden, the American star who dominated tennis in the 1920s, never publicly discussed his sexuality outside of his 1948 book, “My Story: A Champion’s Memoirs.” Brian Vahaly, who played in the 2000s and reached a career-high of world No. 57, and Bobby Blair, on tour in the 1980s, came out after they had retired from professional tennis.

Reis da Silva said Sunday that he told his family and friends that he was gay five years ago. “Before that, it was tough,” he explained.

“I couldn’t say too much about myself to my coaches, to my friends. When I tried to love myself, that was something different. It changed my life, changed everything, the relationship with my parents, with my coaches.”

Over a year ago, Reis da Silva fell in love with Gui Sampaio Ricardo, a Brazilian actor and model. Then Ricardo’s birthday rolled around for 2024, and Reis da Silva did what 24-year-olds do.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s my boyfriend’s birthday. Like happy birthday. I love you.’ And then, boom!

“It was so normal for me that I didn’t think about it.”

Messages and support from big names inside and outside the tennis world began to roll in. Lulu Santos, a massive music star in Brazil, sent him a message. Thiago Monteiro, Brazil’s current No. 1, added heart emojis to the post. He got a like from Diego Hypolito, a gay Brazilian gymnast who won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Just like that, this largely unknown player from Recife, a coastal city in Brazil’s northeast corner, had become a sports and cultural icon. He said he expected to receive some negative reactions, but the responses have been “99.9 percent positive.”

“I’m really happy that people respect me, that people look at me, admire me maybe,” he said.

Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph in 2018, Vahaly said that he heard homophobic comments from other players in the locker room, describing it as “part of the culture.” He added that he hoped for a time when “we can say, ‘Congratulations,’ and then quickly move on. For people to be defined by their sexuality is what we need to get past.”

Reis da Silva, who said he was aware of Vahaly being honored by the U.S. Open (he will be USTA president beginning in 2025), remembers being 18 and hearing someone saying something offensive in the gym.

“In the locker rooms and at tournaments I used to hear some things that kind of bothered me,” he said.

“But when I started to tell everyone that I’m gay and these people knew about it, they stopped saying these things. It’s like when they have someone close to them that is gay, they respect them more. They stop doing sh**** comments,” Reis da Silva said.

“Maybe that’s a big thing to stop it — if people see someone in the top that is gay, things can change. People might stop saying things they shouldn’t that hurt people.”

Alison Van Uytvanck, the recently retired former world No. 37 who is married to physio Emilie Vermeiren, said that she never received any negative comments in the locker room. In an interview earlier this year, Van Uytvanck told The Athletic that “it is kind of surprising“ that the ATP Tour was yet to have an out, active male player.

“If only one player, like a top 100 player, would be open about it, it would be easier for others to open up.”

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Reis da Silva said seeing a role model in the sport would have made a huge difference to him.

“When I was 16, 15, I had problems accepting myself.

“Maybe if I had had someone playing saying, ‘I’m gay, I’m here, I’m competing for the big tournaments,’ it would have been easier for me to accept myself and to love myself. People have told me that. People told me that they admire me. That I inspire people. So it’s a big deal for me and them.

“I don’t have a problem with being remembered as the great gay tennis player,” he said, “but I don’t want to talk about that every time, you know?

“I know there will be a lot of attention on me.”

Born into a tennis-playing family, Reis da Silva said he began hitting balls when he was three. He followed in the footsteps of his brother, who is six years older and who competed at the junior level. As a little boy, Reis da Silva was so obsessed with tennis that he would cry when his father told him it was time to go home.

He began to compete nationally at 10, leaving home at 13 for São Paulo, where he lived and trained for seven years before he moved to Rio de Janeiro. Reis da Silva prefers to battle from the baseline, rather than rush the net, and he rates his service return and his backhand as his biggest weapons.

“I love to break serves,” he said. “I like to stay there in the point and be aggressive in my forehand and play big rallies.”

He has competed throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia in addition to South America, playing the Grand Slams as a junior. After the win in São Paulo, he plans to take a week off, including a few days of holiday with his boyfriend in Porto de Galinhas, the beach town known for its natural pools and white sand. He will then spend Christmas with his boyfriend’s family in Goiania, a small city in the center of the country near the capital, Brasilia.

Joao Lucas Reis da Silva hitting his favorite shot during the Wimbledon boys’ singles in 2018. (Michael Steele / Getty Images)

After that, he will return to Rio to begin preparations for some Challenger tournaments (one rung below the ATP Tour) that lead into the South American ATP Tour swing in February and the Rio Open. His big goal for 2025 is to play in the qualifying tournament for Roland Garros — and to build the tennis life he wants.

“It’s an individual sport, so you can be whatever you want,” he said hopefully. “Everybody will accept you.”

(Top photo: Joao Pires / Photojump)

A strong sense of place can deeply influence a story, and in some cases, the setting can even feel like a character itself — and in the works of Charles Dickens, that character was 19th-century London. This week’s literary geography quiz highlights locations or landmarks around the city that are mentioned in five of Dickens’s books, and each question offers a London-themed hint to help jog your memory. To play, just make your selection in the multiple-choice list and the correct answer will be revealed. Links to the books will be listed at the end of the quiz if you’d like to do further reading.

Amad scored a brilliant late winner in the Manchester derby shortly after earning the penalty that had put Ruben Amorim’s team level as Manchester City crumbled in the closing stages at the Etihad Stadium.

The main story before the game was Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho being left out of the United squad, with United head coach Amorim saying he made the decision after evaluating “everything”.

In their absence, United fell behind when Josko Gvardiol headed in from a short corner in the 36th minute, worsening United’s awful record for set-piece goals conceded this season.

Bruno Fernandes had a good chance to equalise in the second half when he clipped a shot wide, but it was Amad who intercepted a poor Matheus Nunes backpass and drew a foul from the same player, with Fernandes scoring the penalty.

And 54 seconds after the restart, Amad collected a through ball, lobbed it over Ederson and then steered it into the goal from a tight angle to win it. According to Opta, it was the latest into a game that the reigning Premier League champions had led and lost. City have now won just one of their last 11 games.

88 – Manchester City were leading until the 88th minute against Manchester United, but ended up losing 2-1 – the latest into a game that a reigning champion has led in the Premier League and lost. Astonishing. pic.twitter.com/9vwTcocgLw

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 15, 2024

Here Carl Anka, Mark Critchley and Mark Carey analyse the key talking points.

How did Amad do that?

“I just want to improve the team so I cannot treat it like a normal derby,” said Amorim on Thursday evening. It was a pre-match press conference that saw the head coach try to downplay the traditional emotional narratives that go into a game. Neither City or United are on an upward ascent at the moment, so bragging rights fell behind “earning three points” in the hierarchy of needs.

Still, Sunday’s trip to the Eithad will have made clear many things that Amorim has already made good assessments on. His team will likely have to “suffer” in the immediacy, with some players better suited to the “idea” he is trying to communicate to this squad, compared to others. Amad once again looked to be United’s most dangerous attacker but ran offside three times in the first half.

His eagerness to fashion chances in a team lacking creators saw him set off a fraction too early in crucial moments. Yet the 22-year-old’s bravery where many others were timid eventually paid off. His driving runs are illustrated in his player dashboard below.

It was Amad who sensed Kyle Walker’s backpass to Ederson was slack and wouldn’t make its intended target. It was Amad who rounded the City goalkeeper to open up a goalscoring opportunity. It was Amad who opted to pause, and wait for Matheus Nunes to foul him. And Amad who won the penalty.

Fernandes converted and it looked to end 1-1.

But there was Amad again. Latching onto a hopeful pass from Lisandro Martinez in the 90th minute before tipping it over Ederson and into the far post.

Amad lobs the ball over Ederson

Amorim’s first derby will have taught him — again — that his team’s physicality needs to be worked on. He will have understood — again — that there is much to improve on with set pieces.

And finishes from a tight angle

But he will have also learned that, in a derby, some of these players can find another level. Amad’s genius yes, but also Harry Maguire battling as the middle centre-back. Manuel Ugarte breaking up play, and more.

The road is long, but many United players are willing to walk and run it.

Carl Anka

Where did Nunes go wrong?

With a long line outside the treatment room and those fit enough to play fatigued, City find themselves in a position where they have to do things differently. See: Matheus Nunes at left-back.

Pep Guardiola did not have much other option — unless he fancied a switch of system or dropping youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey into a Manchester derby.

And in fairness, Nunes initially acquitted himself adequately enough, as he has when playing further up the left flank in recent weeks.

But lapses have pockmarked the 26-year-old’s Etihad career to date and that career may well be defined by the two errors that led to United’s equaliser from the penalty spot.

The backpass to play Amad through on goal could be considered an unfortunate error — but to charge back and slice through the United winger and concede a spot kick was simply reckless in the extreme.

Nunes and the foul that changed the game (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Nunes collapsed to the turf, barely being able to lift his head from the ground, and City subsequently collapsed to defeat.

Mark Critchley

What’s Man United’s set-piece problem?

Two goals conceded against Arsenal. One against Nottingham Forest, and another conceded to Manchester City. Manchester United have picked up a concerning weakness on corners this season.

United have the second-worst defensive record on set pieces in this season’s Premier League. Eight of United’s 19 goals conceded have been from set-piece situations — at 42 per cent, that is the highest in the league. Conceding 6.8 goals per 100 corners is the second-highest rate behind Wolves, who are 19th and sacked head coach Gary O’Neil today.

Amorim’s side appear to have tweaked their coaching approach to dead balls, with new assistant Carlos Fernandes taking over set-piece duties from Andreas Georgson but the frailties remain. The team appear to be defending in a hybrid style, where the majority of players mark zonally, and a handful are tasked with man-marking duties.

So long as a United player gets first contact on the initial cross, they can defend the set piece well enough. But if they are faced with a team that opts for a layered approach to their attacking play, things can get complicated.

City’s opening goal came from a short corner-kick routine where Ilkay Gundogan ventured over from the edge of the box to take a touch and tee it up for Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian’s cross might have taken a touch from oncoming United defenders, but it still managed to loop towards the back post where it was headed in by Josko Gvardiol.

It was a straightforward goal to concede. United were too slow to close down City when the corner was taken short, and not aggressive enough to stop Gvardiol in the air. It was a goal that spoke to something Amorim brought up earlier in the week, before facing FC Viktoria Plzen.

“We have to be very good in second phases,” said the United head coach on Wednesday. “Such as after crosses, the next cross we have to improve on. We have to improve on these details. We have to be so much better in set pieces and we have to win it.”

The saying says the devil is in the details. United haven’t quite mastered their new routines yet.

Carl Anka and Mark Carey

How important are Gvardiol’s goals?

In the season before Erling Haaland’s arrival, seven City players hit double figures in all competitions. Since then, only two have scored 10 or more goals in a campaign: Phil Foden twice, Julian Alvarez once.

Repurposing a team of false nines to serve the best centre-forward of his generation has had its benefits and its side-effects, making Guardiola’s side look blunt in those occasional spells when Haaland struggles for goals.

Step forward Josko Gvardiol. This derby’s breakthrough was his fourth of the season, moving him clear behind Haaland as City’s top-scorer. No defender has scored more Premier League goals (eight) in 2024.

Gvardiol has become a semi-reliable goal source, not only aerially like today or at Bournemouth, but also with deft finishes and screamers like at Newcastle and Wolves respectively.

OK, so four goals is hardly a glut and City need others to start chipping in too, but at times when City look bereft of ideas to break down opponents, Gvardiol is increasingly becoming the plan B.

Mark Critchley

It is a sight that no football fan likes to see, no matter your allegiance.

Manchester United’s Mason Mount fell to Etihad turf after just 12 minutes in what was only his ninth league start since the beginning of last season.

It was clear that he was unable to carry on minutes before his substitution, after signalling to Amorim that he needed to come off. It is yet another blow for the 25-year-old after calf and hamstring injuries have plagued him since his move from Chelsea.

Mount was consoled by team-mates Fernandes, Martinez and Amad — even engaging in a short exchange with international team-mate Phil Foden — before rallying those around him as he trudged off.

It is a cruel outcome for Mount, especially given his return to fitness under new manager Amorim and an impressive 30-minute display in the Europa League against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday night.

Prior to Sunday’s game, Mount had not managed to play more than 20 per cent of the available domestic minutes in a Manchester United shirt. You have to go back to the 2020-21 season when he last played more than 75 per cent of the possible games in the Premier League.

A fully fit Mount offers so much to his team in and out of possession. His intelligent positioning and relentless running are infectious to team-mates, with Mount often viewed as a manager’s dream in his ability to execute the tactical instructions laid out to him.

Starting as the left-sided No 10 on Sunday afternoon, Mount would have hoped to have punished Manchester City with neat interplay alongside left wing-back Diogo Dalot, making underlapping runs that appeared to be a key part of Amorim’s early training session as Mount was nearing full fitness.

It is too early for a prognosis, but Mount could do with a dollop of luck in hoping that his injury is not too serious.

Mark Carey

How ‘embarrassing’ was Hojlund vs Walker?

Shortly after Manchester City took the lead, Kyle Walker was lying on the ground and there was a scrum of players around him. Walker was holding his face and as the officials waited on a VAR check, there was a sense Rasmus Hojlund could be in trouble after squaring up to the City defender.

A melee ensues after Walker falls to the ground (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

What the replays showed though was that both players put their foreheads together, and while Hojlund leaned forward slightly it did not constitute violent conduct and certainly did not appear to have generated enough force to send Walker to the floor.

“Walker must be embarrassed,” former United captain Roy Keane said on Sky Sports.

Hojlund and Walker butt heads (Dave Howarth – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Referee Taylor’s decision was to book both players.

In the second half, it was Hojlund who went down, this time under a challenge from Ruben Dias, with Taylor not awarding a penalty and the VAR deciding it was “normal contact”.

The United striker was determined to have the last laugh, posting a photo of his clash with Walker on Instagram (second image below) after the game.

What did Pep Guardiola say?

“I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough. it’s as simple as that. I need to talk to them about the way we have to play and press and build up and I’m not good enough. It’s always the same problem you can fix, but it’s not. Matheus made an incredible effort playing left back really good with and without the ball but it’s happened, it’s football and we move forward.”

What did Ruben Amorim say?

“I think we deserved it. It was a very tough match but we believe until the end. We managed to score, we needed that win, it was important for us and for our fans. We were in the game for 90 minutes and that is very good. We talk about the Arsenal game, we played well in the first half, but they were not believing that we could win.

“Today was so much more different. I also believe. Then we have Fergie time and we put the things together and something magic happened. It was a good day for us.”

On leaving Rashford and Garnacho out of the squad: “For me it’s important; the performance in training, the performance in games, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with your team-mates, the way you push your team-mates.

“Everything is important. In our context, in the beginning of something, when we want to change a lot of things, when people in our clubs are losing their jobs, we have to make the standards really high.

“Today the team proved we can leave anyone out of the squad and manage to win if you play together.”

What next for City?

Saturday, December 21: Aston Villa (A), Premier League, 12.30pm GMT, 7.30am ET

What next for United?

Thursday, December 19: Tottenham (A), Carabao Cup quarter-final, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET

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(Top image: by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)