"I'm Making the case that Tennis is Gay," says Tom Vellner

Vellner is on his first book tour celebrating the release of his debut novel, Thirty Love. We recently got the chance to hear from the author himself at an event hosted at Split Rock Books in Cold Spring, NY. Vellner was joined by fellow author Katie Holt, whose recent novel, The Last Page, is now available for pre-order!  

For Tom Vellner, a Hudson Valley native, the night marked the arrival of a project lasting through many outlines, notes, and drafts. Thirty Love is a queer romance set in the world of professional tennis. The story follows Leo Chambers, in his 29th year, as he tries to achieve his dream of winning the U.S. Open before turning the big three-o. Leo’s shot at glory becomes far more complicated when he begins to fall for his longtime rival, Gabe Montoya.

 The novel blends the drama of elite athletics with the tension of the beloved trope of enemies to lovers. During the conversation, Tom Vellner joked about the title of his novel.  “Am I not a genius for the title?” he laughed, referring to the tennis score that cleverly points at Leo’s age and the overall romantic arc for the story.

 Vellner’s idea for this book came from two of his passions: Tennis and romantic comedies. During COVID, Vellner, with his subscription to the Tennis Channel, began watching matches more frequently. He pointed out that something was missing. “I was surprised there wasn’t an openly gay man.” Sparking the idea for Thirty Love.

 With a grin, Vellner said, “I’m making the case that tennis is gay.” He pointed to moments in his novel to support his claim. The short shorts that every tennis player wears, Gabe bending over in the middle of a match, his shorts riding up just perfectly for Leo to see. With a sport that thrives on long-standing rivalries, tennis was the perfect setting for this queer romance.

 Queer sports stories have recently gained traction in the media, especially with the recent surge in popularity of Heated Rivalry. Still, Tom Vellner believes that the genre has a long way to go in creating authentic queer stories, and he is excited to contribute to it.

If you have read the novel and are already thinking of fan casting, Vellner already has his cast picked out. Andrew Burnap as Leo, and Danny Ramirez as Gabe. While we will be crossing our fingers waiting for someone to make a page-to-screen adaptation, Vellner also let us know about what’s next for this world of tennis.

 He is writing a novel set adjacent to the world of Thirty Love, so hopefully, this won’t be the last time we see our beloved couple, Leo and Gabe.

 Links to books by both Tom Vellner and Katie Holt are below! Please always remember to support your local bookstores!

 Special shout-out to Sofia Viggiano for hosting this event at Split Rock Books, it was truly a fantastic night!