Even Tennis Legends Are on the ‘Heated Rivalry’ Kick
At this point, finding someone who isn’t obsessing over Heated Rivalry is like looking for the Loch Ness monster. There’s a small chance they exist, but logic suggests otherwise.
So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that fans of the steamy Crave show (on Max in the US) come from all walks of life, but even so the latest icon to show her enthusiasm for the hockey romance drama is quite the name: tennis legend Billie Jean King.
While speaking on her podcast, Welcome to the Party, which she co-hosts with former soccer players Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy, King mentioned she hadn’t yet had the opportunity to sit down and watch Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams do their thing. However, the enthusiasm in her voice when talking about the show made it clear that was soon going to change.
“I’ve sure heard about it. And I’m going to [watch],” she said in an exchange with Wambach, before adding “Are you kidding? Gay boys, sex, hockey. I’m there!”
The queer ex-world number one ended the short segment by discussing the pressure she faced to stay quiet about her sexuality in the heyday of her career, before ending on a hopeful note, stating “I’m so happy we’re making progress, and I hope this will help make progress as well.”
King, who was famously forced out of the closet after a 1981 legal battle with her former assistant and partner, is about as big a sporting name as you can get. Her achievements in tennis are epic and all-encompassing, but she is also widely known for being the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association, and her win in the infamous 1979 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match against Bobby Riggs.
The American has also received enough national awards to rival her tennis trophy haul, including the Congressional Gold Medal and French Legion of Honor. Not a bad person for the show to have on their side.
(featured image: HBO)
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