Also missing from the tapestry is Novak Djokovic, whose deportation from Australia is recapped in the cold open to Berrettini and Tomljanovic’s episode. The news is tragicomically spun as an opportunity for the former or some other young contender to stake a definitive claim against the tour’s Big 3 (Spoiler Alert: it isn’t).
Without either Nadal or Djokovic—or even Ashleigh Barty, who gets only the briefest nod in the wake of her shock retirement—Break Point becomes a meditation on those inhabiting the purgatory between contender and champion. When introducing a new character, journalist Courtney Nguyen is frequently heard delivering variations on a frustrating theme: “They’re a talented player, but are yet to win a big title.”
While that assessment often and unsatisfyingly remains true—for some by episode’s end, for most to this day—the series isn’t without its triumphs. Taylor Fritz’s BNP Paribas Open victory is vividly depicted, capturing his unexpected Finals Day ankle injury and coach Paul Annacone’s pleas to forfeit against Nadal. Fritz famously soldiers on to snap the Spaniard’s winning streak and win the biggest title of his career. Ons Jabeur is another breakout star, effortlessly charismatic and comfortable on camera as she surges to win a history-making first WTA 1000 title in Madrid.
These moments are unfortunately too far and few between as producers seem more devoted to quieter moments, to showing players at their most ok.
“I know that everything I filmed was completely how it is, and that’s why I’m proud of whatever airs about me,” insists Tomljanovic, who had yet to screen her episode and was more eager to see her US Open “glow-up” in Part 2. “It’s hard to fake anything we’re filming in the moment. You can’t be not yourself 15 minutes before going on court to play Serena Williams. You may have a camera in your face, but that’s the last thing you’re thinking about in those high-pressure situations.”
The players indeed got real when they could. Badosa and Nick Kyrgios open up about their struggles with mental health: the former ponders an extended hiatus after a defeat at home in Spain, Kyrgios openly considers retirement. Does the blame, then, belong with those in the edit bay, with those who smoothed out these complex athletes' more jagged edges?
Perhaps Break Point is not meant to be hard-hitting in scope. Real tennis heads know the sport plays host to an infinite number of intriguing personalities, and don’t necessarily need a docuseries for proof. If Break Point serves strictly as scaffolding, to entice the general public into the big tennis tent, it can only be deemed a success—even if the final product leaves some longing for more of the circus.