Television Review | Tennis, Sweat and Tears documentary series follows up-and-coming top players – but some suspect the series ruined their playing success

Culture|Television review

Is it Netflix’s new documentary series Tennis, sweat and tears (Break Point) cursed? Like the rumor started to spreadas all ten rising tennis stars followed in the series were eliminated from the Australian Open, which ends on Sunday.

The Tunisian placed second in the women’s series Ons Jabeur and the Norwegian who held the same position in the men’s match chart Casper Ruud only reached the top 64. The last to qualify was the sixth-placed Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassimein the quarterfinals.

The fall of the favorites shows how little success depends on, and how hard the pressure can grow at the top level. Along with the new series, they have also successfully told about them through documentary means Naomi Osaka (2021) and Untold: Wrecking Ball (2021).

In the field and off the field are tracked first Nick Kyrgioson his home turf at the Australian Open in 2022. Kyrgios is not only a top-notch twit, but also an entertaining racketeer.

He is the only contemporary player who has managed to beat the entire Big Three, who have dominated men’s tennis for the past twenty years Novak Djokovic35, Rafael Nadal36, and Roger Federer’s, 41. With Federer retiring and Nadal suffering from injuries, the power is changing. This increases the interest of the documentary series. However, Djokovic is still strong.

Women’s side is looking for a mantle heir For Serena Williams, 41, who did not return as a grand slam tournament winner after her maternity leave. There are only three such winners as a mother in the history of tennis, says the fourth part of the series. It focuses on Jabeur, who talks about her baby dreams, and on female players in general, without forgetting financial uncertainty.

The series, which offers several player perspectives, shows the excitement of the game, the joy of winning and the anxiety of top tennis, but does not even try to delve deep into the secrets of the sport, such as tactics or hitting technique. Hotel life quickly begins to look ordinary.

The producers can be found behind the documentary series James Gay-Rees and Paul Martinwho have made a series for Netflix Formula 1 – the battle for pole position (2019–). Tennis is a vastly better TV sport than formulas, but many of the matches would have benefited from longer sets.

how about that curse then? At the Australian Open, it also seems to have hit the bystanders, early qualifiers Rafael Nadal and to Iga Swiatek.

But but: in the fifth part of the series, Nadal is involved, in a match against Ruud – the meeting that determines the balance of power in the corridor of the stadium before the match is worth seeing. Swiatek, on the other hand, has been filmed for the episodes to be published in June.

Tennis, sweat and tears, Netflix.

The opening part culminates in a happy doubles match between Australian friends Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open in 2022. Picture: Netflix