Wimbledon 2019: First gay couple to play doubles at SW19 hope to inspire the tennis world

Alison van Uytvanck and Greet Minnen want more players to follow in their footsteps and feel confident about coming out

Wimbledon’s first openly gay couple have called for more support from the tennis world after taking to the court at this summer’s tournament.

Alison van Uytvanck and Greet Minnen, who have been in a relationship for three years, began their doubles campaign on Tuesday.

And the Belgian couple have made clear their hope that more players will feel comfortable to come out in the future.

“We [would like to] see more people coming forward and saying ‘It’s OK.’ I think people would have more confidence,” Van Uytvanck told The Guardian on Wednesday following a first-round win against British duo Katie Swann and Freya Christie.

“That would be something good, men would appreciate that. More people would come out – it would help to make it easier.

“There must be some gay men [actively playing] out there. For me personally, [if I were] a man, it would be more difficult to come out [because of the stereotypes].”

There has been only one instance of a male player coming out since the Second World War: Brian Vahaly, who waited until 2017, ten years after his retirement, to reveal his sexuality.

Van Uytvanck and Minnen, who have followed the likes of Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Amélie Mauresmo in coming out, said they want to inspire others to do the same.

“Women are coming out more easily than men,” Van Uytvanck added. “I hope we are something that people can look up to, like a role model to come out.”