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Early in the second episode of Break Point, a new Netflix documentary series about the professional tennis tour, Spanish star Paula Badosa explains that sport is a “drug.” good.
But while tennis is physically and mentally demanding, for the world’s elite players, the burning ambition to compete and the adrenaline rush of playing in front of 15,000 people usually come first.
Now, the sport’s gatekeepers hope the same high prices will lead to legions of new fans who have barely seen the game before.
Created by the same team that helped boost Formula 1’s mainstream popularity with ‘Drive to Survive’, Friday’s release of ‘Break Point’ marks the start of the Australian Open and the sport’s potential transitional season. matches
Roger Federer officially retired in September and is gone. Serena Her Williams played her last match at last year’s US Open after announcing her “evolution” from tennis. Rafael Nadal says he will win his 22 major titles in 2023, the most Grand Slam title in history. Since then, he has only 4 wins and 7 losses.
At this point, the only remaining legend who seems poised to exploit more from his prime is Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is back in Australia after a bizarre incident last January and is looking to win his 10th Australian title. Because he did not meet the country’s COVID-19 vaccination guidelines for entry. (In November, he was granted a visa to play in 2023 after Australia lifted a rule requiring vaccinations for all international travelers).
None of these all-time greats are Breakpoint characters, but of course they are a big part of the story. Viewers continue from Australia to the French Open. In these two events of hers, Nadal won the title last year. The remaining episodes covering the second half of 2022 will drop in June before Wimbledon.
From a larger institutional perspective, tennis has dreaded the day when its most moneyed and beloved stars will be unable to bring the sport to TV audiences and ticket-buyers around the world.
In that sense, the creators of “Break Point” provided a simple framing to create a character from a player most casual and non-tennis fans have probably never heard of. Up?
Viewers who see tennis as a posh country club sport will have a very different impression of the anxiety, loneliness and difficult health choices that dreamers must make.
“I’ve been training my whole life for this moment,” said American Taylor Fritz, who is weighing whether to face Nadal in last year’s Indian Wells final. And his coach is begging him not to play. “I would have been thinking about this the whole time if I had taken my hand away.”
In that regard, “Break Point” does exactly what it’s intended to do, building a personality and story that looks more interesting and fresh to new fans than fans with deep knowledge of the sport.
What “Break Point” lacks, at least compared to “Drive to Survive,” is confrontation and competition. Tennis is a brutal sport in many ways, and the show makes it clear how exhausting it is to keep showing up at the next stop on the tour even when most players lose week after week, but the players themselves are too. You may be kind.
Even the debut episode, which was built around tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios and his struggle to live up to the high expectations throughout his career, has been on the many courts he’s been through with his competitors over the years. No mention is made of internal and external conflicts.
Approximately as the series approaches true confrontation, it occurs in Episode 5 when young Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime meets Nadal at the French Open, replacing coach Toni Nadal with his nephew he coached. and his first 16 Grand Slam titles in an awkward position. But even Uncle Toni’s handling of controversial situations is almost always shrugged off by the players themselves, leaving viewers wondering if the storyline really went anywhere.
Tennis fans have many more nits to choose from in the series, but ‘Breakpoint’ will almost certainly attract new eyeballs to tennis.
Here are some stories these new viewers (and current fans) are likely to see if they tune in to the Australian Open.
Can Novak Djokovic match Rafael Nadal at 22 Grand Slams?
After missing the US Open due to being unvaccinated, Djokovic was torn until the end of the 2022 season, winning 18 of 19 matches, including the ATP Finals at the end of the year. Djokovic looked like a favorite to win the Australian Open in his warm-up event in Adelaide, but suffered a minor hamstring injury that could prove problematic.
Can Nadal survive a draw?
After last year’s miracle title in Australia, we’ve learned to never leave him out. But beyond injuries and form issues, Nadal has had a very tough road. This includes a dangerous opener against Jack Draper, his 21-year-old Brit who has already climbed to 40th in the world and will be in the top 20 by the end of 2020. this year. Beyond that, he could have to beat rising American Brandon Nakashima in the second round, Francis Tiafoe in the round of 16 and Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
If not Iga Swiatek, who is it?
Swiatek, who is overwhelming No.1 female player, is the favorite. She has proven herself time and time again on hard courts, including the US Open, but in the faster conditions typical of Melbourne she is somewhat vulnerable. there is not. This means that either 25 or 30 players may be drawn to advance to the finals. One of her notable players is her American Jessica Pegula. She is very consistent in the slams and in her warmup event she beats Swiatek.
who is missing?
Unfortunately for Break Point fans, two of the stars of the series, Ajula Tomljanovic and Badsa, had to withdraw from the tournament due to injuries. Tomljanovic and her then-boyfriend, Matteo Berrettini, become the focus of the series’ second episode, while Badsa opens up about his mental health struggles in the fourth episode, which centers on his opening in Madrid in his hometown. Last week, her two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka announced that she will not compete in 2023 because she is pregnant. But the most disappointing loss of the tournament from a competitive standpoint was Men’s No. 1 Carlos Alcalaz. Since winning a landmark Grand Slam title at the US Open, the 19-year-old has struggled with injuries, including a foot problem that developed during a recent practice match.
Who will be aiming for their first major title?
Fans of American Taylor Fritz had to love what the 25-year-old saw at the season-opening United Cup. Up to No. 9 in the world, Fritz has shown that he can compete with him, sometimes beating the best on regular tours. He’s come as far as achieving it at a Grand Slam, but he’s yet to sign a deal. A draw sets him well enough to reach the semi-finals here, where he will likely draw Djokovic. If she can keep her mentality up and play with discipline, she’ll be well placed to break through for Belarusian heavyweight Alina Sabalenka.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken on Twitter @Dan Wolken
This article appeared in USA TODAY: Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek headline Australian Open Story
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