• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

Martina Navratilova on Gay Men in Tennis

December 19, 2007 by Andy Towle

In a lengthy interview with Outsports, Martina Navratilova says she believes she has lost over $10 million in endorsement deals because of openness about her sexuality, but doesn’t know why there are no openly gay men in professional tennis:

Gasquet“I have no idea. I don’t personally know any who are gay, because none have come out to me. Honest to God. I have suspicions, but I don’t know of one who’s definitely gay. I read that letter to Tennis magazine [in 1994] from an anonymous male player who said ‘thank you because we’re not all as brave as you are,’ but I don’t know who they are. But I don’t know why. It can’t be because they’re all worried about endorsements, because most of them don’t get any anyway. And now, perhaps they’d get one because they are gay. It’s funny. I understand it in team sports because it can become a negative if the coach or the front office is homophobic and you might not get to play; let alone that your opponents might come after you. But in tennis, nobody can stop you from playing because of your sexuality or if someone doesn’t like you. If your ranking is good enough, you get to play. It’s very simple. So I don’t know why none have come out.”

Maybe the $10 million has something to do with it.

I’ve chosen a photo of Frenchman Richard Gasquet to go with this post not because the player has said he’s gay but because he’s felt the need to deny it — twice.

Martina Navratilova on the AARP and drugs and gays in tennis [outsports]

You may have missed…
Tennis #8 Richard Gasquet: Nope, Still Not Gay [tr]
Wimbledon Semi-finalist Richard Gasquet: It’s Obvious I’m Not Gay [tr]

Filed Under: News, Sports Tagged With: Martina Navratilova, News, Richard Gasquet, Sports, Tennis

Recent Posts

  • ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    14 hours ago
  • Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    16 hours ago
  • Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    16 hours ago
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci Describes ‘Chilling’ Resistance to Science in Trump Administration, Tells Rachel Maddow They Blocked Him from Her Show: ‘It Was a Tough Situation. It Really Was’ — WATCH

    Dr. Anthony Fauci Describes ‘Chilling’ Resistance to Science in Trump Administration, Tells Rachel Maddow They Blocked Him from Her Show: ‘It Was a Tough Situation. It Really Was’ — WATCH

    17 hours ago
Previous Post: « John Edwards Upbeat as New Poll Shows Him Ahead in Iowa
Next Post: 7-Year-Old Florida Boy Beaten for Wearing Pink Nail Polish »

Primary Sidebar

  • ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

  • Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

  • Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

Recent Posts

  • ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    14 hours ago
  • Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    16 hours ago
  • Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    16 hours ago
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci Describes ‘Chilling’ Resistance to Science in Trump Administration, Tells Rachel Maddow They Blocked Him from Her Show: ‘It Was a Tough Situation. It Really Was’ — WATCH

    Dr. Anthony Fauci Describes ‘Chilling’ Resistance to Science in Trump Administration, Tells Rachel Maddow They Blocked Him from Her Show: ‘It Was a Tough Situation. It Really Was’ — WATCH

    17 hours ago
  • Talk Show Legend Larry King Dead of Complications from COVID-19 at 87

    Talk Show Legend Larry King Dead of Complications from COVID-19 at 87

    18 hours ago
  • Billie Eilish, Diet Coke Button, Fleet Foxes, Jane Krakowski, Faultline Bar, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus: HOT LINKS

    Billie Eilish, Diet Coke Button, Fleet Foxes, Jane Krakowski, Faultline Bar, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus: HOT LINKS

    1 day ago
  • Visit Key West Like a Queen: Drag Icons Give Their Tourist Tips

    Visit Key West Like a Queen: Drag Icons Give Their Tourist Tips

    1 day ago
  • Chuck Schumer Grimaces After Saying Donald Trump ‘Incited the Erection’ — WATCH

    Chuck Schumer Grimaces After Saying Donald Trump ‘Incited the Erection’ — WATCH

    1 day ago
  • GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn Lied About Training for Paralympics

    GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn Lied About Training for Paralympics

    2 days ago
  • Senate to Get Article of Impeachment from House on Monday

    Senate to Get Article of Impeachment from House on Monday

    2 days ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Log in