Netflix tennis documentaries Break Point no surprises

Less than 10 minutes have passed since the first episode of Break Point, Netflix’s professional tennis documentary series, will be released on Friday. Nick Kyrgios is seen practicing ahead of last years Australian Open and is heard wondering aloud if he will ever appear in the tournament again.

I don’t know if this is the last time, says Kyrgios. But nothing good lasts forever, right?”

It captures the recent mood of tennis as the retirements of Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Ash Barty arrive in 2022. It also helps open a window into turmoil and pressure, a word used repeatedly throughout the first five episodes of the series, which are ongoing. factors for WTA and ATP athletes to return to the Grand Slam stage when play begins at Melbourne Park on Monday (Sunday evening EST).

It’s not the first time Kyrgios, who reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in July, has voiced questions about his future, and indeed, there aren’t many surprises for those who follow the sport closely. However, the first half of the 10-episode first season has the occasional unexpected moment (the rest are due to be released in June), such as when Kyrgios discusses his drinking habit with his manager, or when Maria Sakkari says in episode 3 that she’s retiring. for four days after blowing a match ball and losing in the semifinals of the 2021 French Open.

Break Point is in some ways an advertisement for tennis, introducing casual fans or people who haven’t really been fans in characters on the court, laying out the basic rules and forms, and offering limited recaps of what happened last season.

No attempt is made to fully cover what happened in sports. One example of something only briefly covered: the unvaccinated Novak Djokovic’s will-he-will-he-play-in-Australia saga that captivated the world for more than a week. Bartys’ historic Australian Open championship and spectacular retirement shortly thereafter remain unexplored.

At the end of the day, the show is about the human condition and what this particular sport is doing to humanity and how people react to being in this place and at this time. And it’s very relatable, said executive producer James Gay-Rees, who is also one of the people behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

They’re people we can potentially relate to,” Gay-Rees said in a video interview. “If that’s the case, anyone can look at it and find something.

It features a mix of fresh and archival material. It features interviews with coaches, agents, family members, significant others, journalists and former players such as Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova.

The focus is on the stories and travails of current players, though don’t expect gossip or infighting. There are tears. Honesty occurs especially in the confessional, direct-to-camera sessions so popular on reality TV.

Paula Badosa, a Spaniard who once ranked #2, talks about dealing with depression in Episode 4. Taylor Fritz, the highest-ranked American man, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look in episode 3 of a player dealing with an injury before the biggest match of his career. Ajla Tomljanovic, the Australian player who beat Williams at the US Open in a 23-time major finals match, offers insight into the grind.

If you don’t win the event, you’re a loser every week, says Tomljanovic, whose ongoing relationship with 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini takes up much of Episode 2. That’s why I think tennis is really cruel.

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports