Break Point

If you're a tennis fan (or not) and looking for juiciness, this may just be the show for you.

A strong & personal look into the livelihoods of some of the best, male and female, tennis players in the world and the individual hardships & pressures they face.

Being a huge tennis fan, I was very hyped for this show, especially coming from the creator of Drive to Survive. Break Point certainly did not disappoint. It really depicts the underlying drama that players battle behind the scenes of every tournament and every match. The show is undoubtedly well edited and though slightly disappointed by certain stars like Carlos Alcaraz & Tsitsipas only in passing, I'm really looking forward to Part 2.

Similar to another review, for me it felt like season 2 seemed to have more coverage of the male players model girlfriends than coverage of the female tennis players.

I understand that we're seeing an insight into the players lives but the gratuitous coverage of the female partners, who didn't seem to bring much to the narrative and only seem to have been included if they fitted the correct Instagram profile, became quite tedious to me. So much so, that I was completely losing interest towards the end of the season.

I came here for the tennis, not the fame and celebrity status surrounding it.

You can know nothing about tennis and still enjoy this show. The rules are explained in a way everyone will understand. Simply watching highlights of a tennis match will not give you the same insight as this show does. Viewers will gain a new appreciation of the mental and physical tests tennis players go through.

Break Point is not so much about the game of tennis, it's about the people. Why are these people sacrificing their mental health for greatness? What motivates these players to take the extra step? Break Point is an intimate look into the life of an athlete of the highest caliber in one of the most mentally demanding sports in the world.

The absence of some of the greatest players is felt but does not change the fact that Break Point is a look at the behind-the-scenes of tennis, and it will undoubtedly bring more fans to the sport.

The jump cuts are annoying and the cheerleading sycophantic background commentary can be cringeworthy at times. The series needs a toned-down perspective rather than the fanfare it injects into every situation. Instead, we get contrived setups of personal moments (especially with ditzy girlfriends) and a whole episode on Nick Kyrgios throwing tantrums because he's a "misunderstood" and "troubled" boy...Oh boohoo! Give us a break!

A more subtle perspective with unguarded moments in training, traveling and the struggle to stay on form...more honest fly-on-the-wall stuff. What makes the great players great? And why are so many of the younger players not at the same level as Federer, Nadal and Serena were at their age? We need a more honest exposé on behind-the-scenes tennis rather than the over-dramatic off-the-shelf formula it presents.

Honestly, this is the exact type of result I was hoping for when the series was announced.

Each player has a different personality, playing style, and the episode leans into the personality and reputation that each player already has, while adding enough alternate perspectives to satisfy any opinion that viewers might have.

The best aspect of the series is the behind-the-scenes look at the mental toll that tennis takes on players. Easily the most under appreciated part of the game for newcomers or casual watchers.

Overall, definitely worth the watch. An accurate portrayal of the complexity and diversity of the ATP tour.