Taylor Fritz may be used to the pressure of Grand Slam matches, but the American tennis star recently admitted he is completely caught off guard by a very different phenomenon, the explosive popularity of the HBO Max series, ‘Heated Rivalry’.
The hockey romance series has become much more than a niche streaming hit. It’s turned into a full-blown pop culture, drawing fans from unexpected corners of the sports world. What has made the rise of ‘Heated Rivalry’ even more surprising is the level of attention it has received within the tennis world itself.
Coco Gauff has been one of the most vocal celebrity fans of the series. During the Australian Open, the American openly talked about binge-watching the show and even invited the show’s protagonists to watch her play at the tournament, calling herself the no. 1 fan. Fellow stars Naomi Osaka and Leylah Fernandez have also been linked to the growing fan movement.
Along with these WTA players, the show recently gained Fritz’s attention. In one of his streams online, he revealed that he has been stunned by just how many people around him are talking about the show, especially the girlfriends and partners of athletes.
“Have I seen heat? I’ve not watched “Heated Rivalry.” I’ve had the same conversation with, like, it’s funny, I’ve had the same conversation with, like, probably 6 different dudes being like, “Dude, is your girlfriend watching the show with like these hockey players making out?” and I’m like, Yeah, and then like none of the boyfriends I’ve talked to like watch it with their girlfriends. But like, I’ve had the exact same conversation about like, I guess every girlfriend is just watching the show,” said Taylor Fritz.
The 28-year-old’s recent outing came at the Australian Open, where he lost to Lorenzo Musetti in the fourth round.
