‘Break Point’, the series that spies on the intimacy of tennis players on the circuit: from sacrifices to a mental strength that is difficult to describe

Playing tennis is much more than hitting a ball with a racket and passing it over and over to the other side of the net.. All those who practice (for better or worse) that sport know it. Even those who do it as a hobby or, why not, as a therapeutic activity. Playing tennis at the highest level, however, is another sport. High performance requires more than just talent. It requires years and years of training, thousands and thousands of sacrifices and a mental strength that is difficult to describe in words.

All of this is embodied ‘Breaking point’the new Netflix series that allows you to spy (and understand) what the life of some of the best tennis players in the world was like during 2022, the off season with Novak Djokovic and their problems for not getting vaccinated, with a Rafael Nadal willing to resurrect again and again and with upcoming retirements of Roger Federer Y Serena Williams. There are five episodes premiering this Friday, January 13, starting at 5pm Argentine time. It will be the first half of a season that will be completed next June with five more episodes.

In the same format as “Drive to Survive”the success that documents the lives of Formula 1 drivers for several seasons, in Break Point the protagonists are the players who They open the doors of their privacy so that fans have the possibility to understand all the vicissitudes that professionals go through.

The first half of the initial season stops at four tournaments. And he traces them through the experiences of different protagonists with cameras that accompany them far beyond the courts.

The first two chapters take place in Australian Openhe who was shaken by the decision of the Justice to expel a Novak Djokovic without vaccinations. There, through the action in Melbourne Park, we understand a little more about the infinite rebellion of the ineffable Nick Kyrgioswho in those days was deciding whether or not to abandon tennis, and his earth cable, Thanasi Kokkinakiswith whom he lived an unforgettable tournament.

There is also about the dreams and frustrations of a tennis couple, like the Italian Matthew Berrettini and Croatian-Australian Ajla Tomjanovic -that time after he was the “bad guy” who put an end to Serena Williams’ career-.

The season continues Indian Wells, the tournament that is played in the California desert and is considered the fifth Grand Slam. Here, the American Taylor Fritzwho would eventually win the tournament, and the Greek Maria Saccari and his struggle to make a great story. It’s also where “Break Point” begins to delve into an increasingly visible problem in high-performance sport: the mental health of athletes who push their psyches beyond the limits to improve their game.

the Tunisian On Jabeurthe first African and Arab to be successful in the women’s group, and the Spanish Paola Badosa, number two in the world at the time, are the leitmotif of the episode that takes place in Madrid. There, the series neatly shows another back side of tennis, namely the business commitments and financial hardships that appear as they try to gain a prominent place on the circuit. Yes, another factor that tests the mental balance of athletes.

The last leg of this first half of the series takes place in Roland Garros. And those who show behind the scenes of the second Grand Slam of the year are Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Norwegian Casper Ruud. Through them, “close enemies” of Rafael Nadal, it is relived how the Spaniard once again worked his magic with his resilient tennis to reach 22 crowns in major tournaments.

Wimbledon, US Open and ATP and WTA Finals will be the next stops. There the stories will be those of Aryna Sabalenka, Sloane Stephens, Iga Swiatek, Frances Tiafoe Y Stephen Tsitsipas. Attention, tennis players are not the only protagonists. Trainers and legends like Paul Annacone, chris evert, Patrick Mouratoglou, Tony Nadal, Martina Navratilov, Andy Roddick Y Maria Sharapova They help contextualize the experiences of the younger generation through their own experiences.

Wounds, anguish, great victories, unexpected defeats and intimacy. Everything is a combo that becomes an irresistible magnet. And all already knowing who will end up being the winners and losers. A turning point, without a doubt, for fans of a sport that has no equal.