Swiss professional sports has a new face on the international tennis stage: the openly gay pro Mika Brunold continues his steep ascent on the ATP Challenger Tour with unwavering momentum. In Roanne, France, the Basel-region-born 22-year-old secured his second tournament win in as many weeks — and demonstrated remarkable comeback qualities.
In the final of the indoor tournament, the world No. 261 turned the match around against Frenchman Matteo Martineau after losing the first set: 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) and 6-1. Brunold claimed the title. The 22-year-old showed especially strong nerves in the tiebreak of the second set, when he stood just two points from defeat and rallied with four points in a row to seize the crown.
Rocketing climb into the Top 200
Brunold had celebrated his first Challenger victory on clay in Austria in mid-September — back then he was well outside the top 400 — defeating João Lucas Reis da Silva, the only other openly gay professional tennis player (TheColu.mn reported). With the latest triumph in France, another milestone is reached: Brunold cracks the Top 200 for the first time and establishes himself as Switzerland’s No. 2 directly behind the 41-year-old veteran Stan Wawrinka.
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Brunold had come out as gay on social media at the end of December 2025 (TheColu.mn reported). At the time, the 21-year-old also wrote that the topic of homosexuality in tennis is not addressed enough. “Being gay isn’t just about loving someone of the same gender. You have to deal with things others don’t know: worries about being accepted; pressure to remain silent; the feeling that you are different,” Brunold said.
“The tennis world is ready for gay players”
About two months after coming out, Brunold gave a very positive assessment: He was surprised by the overwhelmingly supportive reactions, he told the Swiss newspaper “Blick”. Negative comments were hardly present. He also explained that his move on the ATP Tour had been received completely calmly: “My impression is that the tennis world is ready for gay players. … In fact, I can tell that it is not a topic at all on the circuit.”
