Here’s our rundown of how these LGBTQIA players are doing after the first week of the competition and who they are
BY EMILY O’MULLANE, IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Wimbledon season is back! We are more excited than ever as it means that summer has well and truly begun (even if the weather here in the UK hasn’t got the memo yet!).
Tennis had a queer revival recently after the film Challengers made $15 million in its opening week. The film featured a steamy love triangle between Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist who played three pro tennis players competing to be at the top. However, the real game is just as queer and just as messy.
Below is a rundown of how the out players of Wimbledon are doing after the first week of the competition and who they are.
Daria Kasatkina
The most high-profile player on this list, Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina is in an equally high-profile relationship with former Russian figure skater Natasha Zabiiako.
Daria has had a successful year so far, reaching the final in both the Abu Dhabi Open and Eastbourne International. Kasatkina made it to the third round of the Wimbledon 2024 ladies singles, before being knocked out in her match against Paula Badosa.
She has not been quiet on the issues that matter to her, In 2022 she criticised her home nation Russia for their invasion of Ukraine.
Daria and her girlfriend move around constantly as they cannot return home. Speaking on LGBTQIA safety in Russia to CBS News she has said that she is waiting for the homophobic laws to change in her country before she will return: “Yes. That has to be changed in order for me to feel safe going back. I’m missing my home, and one day I want to come back. When this day will come, nobody knows. But I will wait for it.”
Demi Schuurs
Demi Schuurs may have lost her singles and ladies’ doubles tournament but is still in with a chance of winning the mixed doubles.
Demi has stood proud during her whole career, coming out when she was a teenager. In the past, she has spoken about the way she presents herself differently from the other players.
“When I was new on the pro circuit, I was shy because you don’t know how people might think of you. They see someone wearing boy’s clothes, and later find out that I have a girlfriend, so it made me wonder what they might be thinking of me. This is something that totally changed because now, they know who I am, what I do, what I have. They know that I’m polite to everyone, and they see that I’m no different from anyone else.”
Demi is known for her style on the pitch, often seen wearing an oversized T shirt and shorts. Demi is in a relationship with Carmen Kuijer and has been open about their relationship since 2020.
Nadia Podoroska
In 2023, Nadia Podoroska came out and announced her relationship with fellow Argentinian tennis player Guillermina Naya. Tennis legend and fellow member of the LGBTQIA community, Billy Jean King wished the couple well online. Nadia is an advocate for the community, especially highlighting the gap in progress of the LGBTQIA community across the globe: “I don’t want to deny all the progress that has been made in terms of rights, but there is still a big gap… We talk about the Western countries, but there are a lot of other countries, other cultures where it is unthinkable… as for the world in general, we are light years ahead.”
Unfortunately, the tennis player will not be progressing to the second week of the tournament, having been knocked out of both the singles and doubles divisions.
Greet Minnen
Greet Minnen is another queer tennis player who has not made it through to the next week of Wimbledon.
Greet has had an open relationship history, previously having been engaged to fellow player Alison Van Uytvanck. Now it is reported that Greet is in a romantic relationship with Marie Diels, a project coordinator at Herbosch-Kiere.
Greet has had a groundbreaking career with she and Daria becoming the two first out tennis players to face off in a grand slam match. Greet also broke news when she beat Venus Williams in the first round of the 2023 US Open.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing and Greet is open about the hate she has received for her sexuality in the past. Sharing a screenshot of abusive messages she received from another user, she commented that the homophobia against her “really has to stop”.
Alison van Uytvanck
Alison Van Uytvanck is another queer player at Wimbledon this year. She broke boundaries in 2019 when she and ex-partner Greet Minnen were the first openly gay couple to play doubles together.
While this list has demonstrated that we have seen more and more female tennis players be comfortable being out about their sexuality over the years, Alison has recognised that there is still a way to go with their male counterparts: “There must be some gay men out there. Personally as a man it would be more difficult to come out.” She also emphasised the role that the wider community plays in creating a welcoming environment: “We would like to see more people coming forward and saying, ‘It’s OK.’ I think people would have more confidence… That would be something good, men would appreciate that. More people would come out, it would help to make it easier.”
Alison will not be playing in the second week of Wimbledon after being defeated in the first round of the singles competition.
Emina Bektas
Emina Bektas, who is of Bosnian descent and plays for the United States team was at one point married to English player Tara Moore. According to reports, the couple have now split. Emina is 31 and she entered the world’s top 100 in 2023, being the fourth oldest to do so in WTA history.
Commenting on her impressive leap in rankings she said that she felt “just really genuinely happy”.
“Even more so, I was happy for everyone around me. The people that stood by and supported me and helped me and continued to believe in me even through the very tough and low moments. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this and stick through it without them.”
Emina was set to play against Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon – however Aryna had to withdraw from the competition and was replaced by Erika Andreeva.
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
✨linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine ✨
