Strokes of Genius

One of the most fantastic documentaries I have ever seen. As a tennis fan this was very interesting, but I would imagine that a non-tennis fan would love it nearly as much.

This doc takes us to the other side of the court, what players and their families sacrifice to produce something which only happens once in a lifetime. The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest in the history and 2008 ' Wimbledon' final was the peak of it. It showed the dedication, grit, mental toughness of both the players. With all of the what made it more pleasant was the mutual admiration between Federer and Rafa, which is sadly rare in other players.

I will start by saying that i've never really watched a tennis match before or remember being excited about tennis. I just saw someone recommend this online and thought I'd give it a try.

This documentary is well made - well written so as to give the viewer an idea of the magnitude of this match. Well narrated by the people themselves involved in the events. It also provides an alternating summary of the sports life of Nadal and Federer which makes us empathize and understand them both. It also makes us appreciate how they've evolved to be great players.

Nadal VS Federer - "Federer is an artist who knows how to fight, Nadal is a fighter who knows how to be an artist." The new vs the old, the energetic vs the elegant, clay champion vs grass court champion, Federer was right handed & Rafael a leftie - it really was a war of the opposites.

The sportsmanship between the both is heartwarming, their dedication to the inspiring and their respect for each other truly making them great people. I still can't figure out how this was made to be so entertaining, informative and beautiful.

We are lucky to witness one of the best rivalries in sports history, any sport. The documentary is not just Nadal vs Federer, but about unforgettable tennis rivalries, it is about what mental strength is required to achieve greatness, it is about respect for your opponent, it s about the motivation that each player exerts on the other player.

Recently a couple of sports journalists, Jon Wertheim and Chris Nashawaty, were bemoaning the lack of the one GREAT tennis movie. Claimed Borg v McEnroe was the closest. Well hold the presses, Strokes of Genius is it. Not a fictional film or biopic but a doco I think it can still claim the title.

Beautifully made, great tension and editing - directed by an english guy, who has two Mindhunter eps also on his cv (the best TV of recent years).

Even if you don't love tennis this will grab you. The back stories of the two best male tennis players ever is great, fabulous interviews with their families and teams. The context of the 'greatest tennis match in history' the rivalry and the pathos is gripping. The two athletes are intelligent, articulate, honest and reflective - two exceptional humans. A must see I reckon.