Netflix recently pulled the plug on Break Point after two seasons, citing poor ratings and accessibility issues. The docuseries struggled to be well-received by tennis fans, more so since it failed to get Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and other megastars on camera.
In an exclusive by The Times, via Sports Business Journal, Netflix decided to end the project after not getting good ratings or the desired level of access to the players. Inspired by the success of Drive to Survive, Break Point failed to draw numbers like the F1 counterpart. Additionally, the executives were unhappy with the excessive permissions required to cover players in depth.
“Producers ‘became increasingly frustrated by the hurdles they had to overcome for access in tennis’ compared to F1 and the process was ‘complicated by the repeated need to gain the approval of agents before filming or speaking to players.'”
The production, announced in January 2022, had two seasons with 10 and six episodes each. Top names like Nick Kyrgios, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and more did feature. However, certain stars like Iga Swiatek showed up in Season 1 but skipped Season 2. The inaugural season was much higher rated than the second.
Further, Break Point never got superstars like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the show. This created a lack of star power to attract current and newer fans.
Additionally, Break Point also failed to appropriately cover certain major events in this duration. Alexander Zverev, for instance, received an entire episode but with no mention of his domestic violence allegations. Other important events that did not get due screen time included Djokovic’s deportation and Nadal’s triumph at the Australian Open 2022 and Simona Halep’s doping case. Even Roger Federer’s retirement in September 2022 was not shown, which was one of the biggest events in tennis that year and in the sport’s history altogether.
Fans on social media were very vocal about their disappointment with Break Point‘s coverage. Apart from the fact that the series missed out on top players, it also did not do justice to the players they did get on camera. As said in the aforementioned report, they could not get much behind-the-scenes footage.
Netflix’s Break Point failed to cover established icons or upcoming superstars
Every generation of tennis players has a small handful of superstars who transcend the sport with their fame and marketability. For the past couple of decades, this has been the Big 3 and Serena Williams. The trio are global celebrities, recognised by people who barely follow tennis.
However, Netflix contrived to get none of them sufficient footage. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic were reduced to mere epilogue notes. Williams, meanwhile, was just a side character in an episode that focused on Ajla Tomljanovic.
With Williams and Federer retired, Nadal barely featuring and Djokovic also ageing, there is a space. The upcoming generation has few such superstars as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, and perhaps Coco Gauff. However, all of them are yet to hit their peak, both on the court and in terms of stardom. Break Point got lost in this phase between two generations of celebrity players. While they managed to get in some headline-makers like Nick Kyrgios, the pull of megastars cannot be overlooked.
Unfortunately for Netflix, they could not find a solution to this vacuum in tennis. They could not get the bygone legends to feature, and neither could they get the upcoming stars to commit much time. Understandably, focusing on their tennis career is more crucial for young players. Perhaps, Netflix or some other production house could try again in a few years, when these players are established celebrity players.
