Billie Jean King congratulates Nadia Podoroska for 'courage' after Argentine comes out

WATCH: Podoroska joins Daria Kasatkina as high-profile WTA players who've come out this year.

Coming out of the closet is a milestone moment for anyone, world-famous athlete or not, but Nadia Podoroska's announcement earlier this week was made all the more special thanks to the kudos she received from Billie Jean King.

The Argentine, best known for her semifinal run to Roland Garros in 2020 as a qualifier, came out by posting birthday wishes for her 26-year-old girlfriend Guillermina Naya on Instagram. She captioned sweet, candid snaps of the two in her Instagram story with a heartfelt message.

“Today, I celebrate you from afar," Podoroska wrote, "but I feel you by my side every day of my life.”

In response to Podoroska's post, King, who was one of the first female athletes to come out in 1981, praised the former Top 40 player on social media.

“Congratulations to WTA player ⁦⁦Nadia Podoroska⁩ on her announcement,” King wrote on Twitter. “Living authentically takes such courage, but it is always worth it.”

Naya is also a tennis player who's won two singles titles and three doubles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour, and Podoroska recently told the online publication Clay Tenis that her support was crucial in her rehab through her latest injury issues. After reaching a career-high ranking of No. 36 last Jul, the Argentine was sidelined for 10 months from the 2021 US Open until she made her return at Wimbledon.

Podoroska later responded to King's message with an equally sweet sentiment.

"I respect you for everything you represent to us. You are a true role model in the fight for equality in sport and beyond sport," she wrote on Twitter, signed with a rainbow flag.

Podoroska joins Daria Kasatkina as high-profile WTA players to come out this year. Returning to competition in June, Podoroska made the semifinals at the Chennai Open last month.