Swiss tennis player Mika Brunold comes out as gay in emotional social media statement
Mika Brunold, the 312th ranked player in the world, revealed that he is gay in an emotional statement. The 21-year-old tennis player shared the news on social media, saying that he was finally ready to take this step.
Mika Brunold emphasized that he was discovering his personality and that he wanted to stay true to himself and his principles. He certainly had dilemmas and difficulties whether to speak openly about this, but ultimately the young tennis player decided to take this step, following the example of some other athletes.
“Heyy. Today I want to share something personal with you,” Brunold wrote on Instagram. “As a professional tennis player, I’ve spent countless hours working on my game, my body, and my mindset.
Through all of this, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that success on the court isn’t just about physical skill - it’s about discovering your personality and staying true to yourself.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to talk about this. And while it hasn’t always been easy, hiding it and pretending to be someone I’m not was never an option. That’s why I feel it’s time for me to open up and share with you that I’m gay."
Mika Brunold talks about challenges
Brunold emphasized that being gay means facing various difficulties and challenges and that there is too little talk about such things in the world of sports. The Swiss tennis player is grateful to everyone who has supported him, because without such support he believes that he would not be able to speak openly about this.
“Being gay doesn’t mean loving the same gender – it also means dealing with things most people never have to think about. The fear of not being accepted, the pressure to stay quiet, the feeling of being different. But I’ve grown. And I’m proud of who I am today.
I’m sharing this with you to take a step for myself, but also because I think it’s not talked about enough in sports. I believe that in an ideal world, we wouldn’t even need to ‘come out’ at all.
I’m deeply grateful for everyone who supported me. Without you, I would never be the person I am today.”- he concluded.
Will The Capitals Call Up Ilya Protas? Current Plan As Prospect Shines In Hershey
The Capitals are keeping a close eye on Ilya Protas as he thrives at the AHL level.
Ilya Protas is a subject that comes up quite often — every day, actually — for the Washington Capitals.
The budding prospect and younger brother of Capitals breakout winger Aliaksei is off to a red-hot start to his AHL career, with nine goals and eight assists for 17 points through his first 18 games with the Hershey Bears.
"Little Pro comes up every day, and it's not about him being called up, it's just us keeping tabs on Hershey, what's going on there, watching the highlights, reading the reports, having discussions after we watch some of the footage or hear some of the feedback from the coaches there, management or scouts," coach Spencer Carbery said. "I think the organization — I'm not going to speak for (general manager Chris Patrick), but he's doing really really well down there, so that's very exciting. You love to see that."
Protas has goals in seven straight games, but beyond the production, the 6-foot-6 center is taking well to the pro game, using his size, speed and creativity to his advantage.
With how quickly he's taking to the pros, and with Hendrix Lapierre playing limited minutes in a fourth-line center role amid Nic Dowd and Pierre-Luc Dubois' absences up front, the question was raised as to whether or not the Capitals would recall the 19-year-old.
"Where your mind goes next is, 'Okay, when can he come up here and do those same types of things?'" Carbery admitted.
However, the plan is to continuing to let him develop as a rookie at the AHL level and, as was the case in juniors last season, letting him succeed and star among rookies while evolving his game. Then, when he's ready, he can make a run for a roster spot up with Washington.
"It's just a matter of young player doing very well in the American Hockey League, developing, from all accounts, production-wise. Everything that we're hearing from there is that he's doing a great job," Carbery said. "So it's just continuing to develop and work at your game. The time will come."
