Pride Month 2026 Q&A: Author Edward Schmit discusses The Open Era at USTA Power of Visibility panel

Q: What is your own relationship to tennis?

Edward Schmit: I was a theater kid growing up. I did not care about sports whatsoever. My dad loves tennis. He tried to get me to play, but I did not care. In 2021, I was looking for outlets to work on my mental health. I went to the US Open every year for the vibes really, but that year I caught myself falling in love with the competition. I was like, ‘I like watching tennis. I think I might like playing it.’ So, I got a coach. I joined clinics. I hit with strangers in parks. And I really became obsessed with tennis in a way that I'd never related to a sport before. 

As I was watching tennis, I was looking for openly queer players to watch and support. And there were quite a few women since Billie Jean King, but at the time I started writing this book, there were zero men actively playing that were out. I was wondering why, and I couldn't get that question out of my head. So I built the book around it. The story follows Austin Hardy. He's 20 years old, recently turned pro. He came out in high school, it was no big deal, but when he qualifies for the US Open, he makes history by just being who he is. Like accidental history, and the media turns straight to him. He isn't used to that spotlight, and then events ensue. 

Edward Schmit: I will not shut up about how good tennis was for my mental health. It got me outside. It got me interested in exercise in a way that I never really was, because it made it fun. I also met wonderful new friends. Those three things are great enough for your mental health. On the other hand, I know what it feels like to feel bad about yourself on the court. My main character Austin is struggling with his mental health while playing tennis, but I do see the extremely positive side. I understand why it's called the world's healthiest sport.

Q: With the hype surrounding Heated Rivalry, LGBTQ+ sports stories appear to be having a moment. Do you feel like that’s the case?

Edward Schmit: These stories have existed for a long time. Then along comes Heated Rivalry and it just blows everything up, and that's wonderful, because now people want more of it and look for other pieces of queer media to watch. I’m lucky to be publishing this book around the heat of Heated Rivalry. There are differences between the two. Early readers of The Open Era have described it as a little more sweet than spicy, or like Heated Rivalry’s cute younger brother. And there are a lot of themes that we get into in The Open Era: mental health themes, identity themes. I deeply care about the sport that I'm writing about too. You don't have to know anything about tennis to enjoy The Open Era, but hopefully you finish the book as a tennis fan.

The event can be streamed by clicking the video below.