Tennis star Taylor Fritz has opened up about his fears about the Netflix documentary Break Point, which he thinks may villainise his friend, Nick Kyrgios.
A synopsis for the programme reads: “The world of professional tennis is in transition. As a handful of the legends who’ve held our attention (and a whole lot of trophies) begin to consider retirement, a new generation of tennis stars is rising quickly to take over. Break Point, a new docuseries from the team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive, captures this changing of the guard and showcases the sheer volume of blood, sweat and smashed rackets that goes into being the best of the best.”
It continues: “The series takes an intimate look at these underdog tennis stars as we follow them all around the globe, competing in Grand Slams and tournaments in the ATP and WTA tours.”
Fritz is one of the stars of the programme, alongside Kyrgios, who is the enemy of the traditional tennis world. The Australian regularly has on-pitch outbursts, speaks his mind, and often gets into trouble for doing so. In 2016, he was suspended from the sport for 16 weeks for “aggravated behaviour” at the US Open. However, Kyrgios’ position as the anti-hero of tennis has also won him many supporters, who see him as a refreshing presence in the sport.
“I don’t know if I want to watch it,” Fritz said, according to The Daily Mail. “I’m scared of how things can be cut up. Especially because I haven’t tried to filter myself at all. ‘I’ve tried to just be very, very genuine. But they can cut things. ‘It’s like with Nick Kyrgios…they could cut it up to make Nick look such an amazing guy. And then they could also cut it up to make him look like the villain, which I feel like they might do just because that’s how a lot of people in tennis see him – even though I think he’s great for the sport.’
‘Some interviews (with other players) are so boring, it’s always the same stuff,’ Fritz told The Telegraph, London. “I wanted to be the same person I always am, and if people hate me, then they hate me. Tennis’ fan base is much older and very stuck in traditional ways. There isn’t enough invitation to be different.”
Break Point lands on Netflix on January 13th.
