French tennis star Richard Gasquet now has more than gay mors to ny: he’s acced of g e

Contents:

• GASQUET: I AM NOT GAY
• RICHARD GASQUET: ´I AM NOT GAY! NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. ANDY MURRAY IS BORG TO WATCH´
• RICHARD GASQUET, STILL NOT GAY
• WHEN WILL WE GET OUR FIRST OPENLY-GAY MALE TENNIS PLAYER?
• FRENCH TENNIS STAR RICHARD GASQUET NOW HAS MORE THAN GAY MORS TO NY: HE’S ACCED OF G E
• RICHARD GASQUET GAY RUMORS?ONLE POLL SHOWS 91 PERCENT DON’T BELIEVE HE’S GAY

GASQUET: I AM NOT GAY

Why are there no openly gay players ele men's tennis? A gaggle of gay boys watch awe. Until recently, however, a boyiend Franciss rner -- or even a group of gay fans -- was unthkable.

RICHARD GASQUET: ´I AM NOT GAY! NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. ANDY MURRAY IS BORG TO WATCH´

Not that there havent been gay male tennis players. His predilectn for young men was an open secret tennis circl, but acrdg to Tiln bgrapher Frank Deford, Big Bill would never have publicly avowed his homosexualy. Mrmo, a former world number 1, isnt exactly out loud and proud the media, but sh stck a major blow for gay athlet by retag her sponsorships and beg a beloved natnal hero her home untry of France.

RICHARD GASQUET, STILL NOT GAY

The Czech gay godss also pots out that, sce tennis players arent hired or fired by ach or owners, no one n take your job away and that general male players are not homophobic.

We know players enunter gay folks: Andy Roddick is a regular at Elton Johns chary events. Id be really surprised and shocked if someone had a problem wh a [gay player].

Tennis has such a big gay fan base that anyone who me out would be a celebry. Many people terviewed for this article, om tennis tour staffers to former players to punds, believe that an openly gay player would e, Couriers words, an ial shock wave, but then the tour would adapt, and everyone would move on. Is tennis, so genteel pared to rough-and-tumble mastream team sports like football and basketball, really that homophobic?

WHEN WILL WE GET OUR FIRST OPENLY-GAY MALE TENNIS PLAYER?

The locker room uldnt be a more homophobic place, he says. Were not gay-bashg. While tennis may not be routely or overtly homophobic, tennis players have been known to be publicly antigay., a webse dited to gays sports, has enshred retired Croatian player Goran Ivanisevic on s Anti-Gay list for his liberal e of the word faggot, most notably after an otherwise spirg victory at Wimbledon 2001.

I knew that I was gay and livg a untry where that wouldnt be possible. People get murred for beg gay. Homophobic slurs were monplace on mp, among his tennis.

[The homophobia] didnt hurt. Francis traveled to world pals to play tennis but never vised gay bars. If [an openly gay player] wanted to practice wh other players, they would say, No thanks, I dont want to be associated wh you, bee people would thk they were gay also, he says.

FRENCH TENNIS STAR RICHARD GASQUET NOW HAS MORE THAN GAY MORS TO NY: HE’S ACCED OF G E

[A gay player] is always gog to be subject to sni ments. Francis says jt beg spected of beg gay means hearg homophobic ments on urt. How did they know he was gay?

RICHARD GASQUET GAY RUMORS?ONLE POLL SHOWS 91 PERCENT DON’T BELIEVE HE’S GAY

Acrdg to Francis, beg gay is also a potential petive disadvantage. This is the talk the locker room: If a male player has to play a guy who is [perceived to be] gay, they tomatilly.

If I play agast black, whe, Che, gay, Im not lookg for extra motivatn, he says. As any dly obssive gay male fan knows, tantalizg mors surround a hunky Amerin player once ranked si the top 20. He was very attractive, mcular, the epome of a gay pup.

Everyone kd of knew he was gay om the way he talked -- he wasnt hidg .