Coco Gauff may be focused on winning the Australian Open, but she clearly has another major goal in mind: recruiting the entire world into her favorite fandom. The American tennis sensation has gone viral after declaring herself the “number one fan” of the HBO Max queer hockey romance series ‘Heated Rivalry.’
During her media day press conference in Melbourne, Gauff couldnt help but gush about the show that has taken over her social media feed and her heart. “I just kind of saw people talking about a hockey show, a gay hockey show. That interested me,” she shared, according to tennis.com. “I was like, ‘Oh, six episodes, perfect.’ I just dove, like, right in.”
Spice, Tension, and ‘Enemies to Lovers’
Based on Rachel Reid’s popular ‘Game Changer’ book series, ‘Heated Rivalry’ stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. The story follows two professional hockey players navigating a secret, decade-long romance while being fierce competitors on the ice.
For Gauff, the appeal was instant. “Obviously, there’s some nice spicy scenes,” she joked during an interview with the Tennis Channel. “It’s such a beautiful love story. I think that was like the main thing.”
She also admitted she is a sucker for a classic romance trope. “The tension, obviously, the sexual tension and then the romantic tension. I love the trope that enemies – well, they aren’t real enemies – but enemies to lovers, but they both were denying their feelings. I don’t know. I just eat stuff up like that.”
A Personal Invitation to the Stars
Gauff didn’t stop at just being a viewer; she used her platform to reach out directly to the show’s leading men. In a video message that has been circulating on Instagram and X, Gauff sent a sweet invitation to Storrie and Williams.
“Hey, Connor and Hudson, my name is Coco,” she said with a smile. “I am tennis’ number one ‘Heated Rivalry’ fan. Please come to my match and watch me play… Love you guys.”
She’s also on a mission to turn the locker room into a viewing party. Gauff revealed she has already been urging fellow tennis stars Jessica Pegula and Giuliana Olmos to check out the series. “We’ll see how much of the WTA I can convince to watch the show,” she added.
The ‘Heated Rivalry’ Takeover
The show is feeling the love far beyond the tennis court. Recently, creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady were spotted at an NHL game between the LA Kings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. When scenes from the show were flashed on the Jumbotron, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, proving that the series has truly crossed over into mainstream sports culture.
Even the supporting cast is getting in on the sports action. Robbie G.K., who plays Kip on the series, was spotted on the field at the Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco ers playoff game this past Saturday. The Seahawks even posted a video of the actor on their official Instagram grid with the caption, “@robsgk in the cottage.”
As Coco Gauff continues her run at the Australian Open, fans are eagerly waiting to see if her “number one” stars will make the trip to Melbourne to cheer her on from the stands. Whether they show up or not, Gauff has officially made ‘Heated Rivalry’ the must-watch show of .
Have you dived into the ‘Heated Rivalry’ obsession yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
