Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish become first male tennis players to join Athlete Ally

Andy Roddick was one of several in tennis to applaud Jason Collins on Monday. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images). Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish went the extra step
Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish become first male tennis players to join Athlete Ally
Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish become first male tennis players to join Athlete Ally /

Andy Roddick was one of several in tennis to applaud Jason Collins on Monday. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images).

Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish went the extra step after applauding Jason Collins on Monday.

Athlete Ally, an organization working to raise awareness and end homophobia in sports, announced that Roddick and Fish joined their cause, becoming the first male professional tennis players to do so.

Roddick and Fish will act as liaisons between Athlete Ally and the ATP and speak out against homophobia in sports and encourage their colleagues to do the same.

https://twitter.com/MardyFish/status/329279540813778945

"Yesterday was an incredible day for athletes everywhere," Roddick said in a statement from Athlete Ally. "Jason Collins' courage and leadership in coming out reminds me of how important it is for an athlete to be able to be true to him or herself.  As an Athlete Ally, I want to support every athlete to feel comfortable and confident being themselves and to make sure that all people - players and fans alike - are  welcome and included in tennis."

NAVRATILOVA: Revolutions start with small steps; Collins a leader

Fish agreed. "Everybody deserves a shot at playing sports. It shouldn't matter in the least if that person is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Building community through healthy and inclusive activities should be one of the main focuses behind athletics, and that isn't possible if you exclude LGBT individuals, especially our youth."

WERTHEIM: Navratilova laid groundwork for Collins to come out

"It's people like Andy and Mardy who will help pave the way for LGBT athletes in tennis," said Martina Navratilova, who sits on the Athlete Ally Advisory Board. "Though coming out is an intensely personal decision, with each new Athlete Ally that speaks out, an LGBT athlete could feel more comfortable coming out."

Tennis reacts to Collins' announcement


Published
Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.