Tennis, Anyone?
“Break Point” was recently released on Netflix. It is a tennis documentary following some of the best young tennis players. It was a great documentary and made me reflect on my experiences with tennis. While I was only a JV player throughout high school, tennis still had a big impact on my life, and I hope I stick with it forever. The head coach at my school always said tennis was a lifelong sport, and I think he was right.
Part one of the docuseries is five episodes and follows newer tennis players preparing for and playing in major tennis tournaments. It shows their emotions and hard work when playing matches that could make their careers. There are some great moments in the show, like when Taylor Fritz beats Nadal at the Indian Wells tournament after Taylor hurts his ankle.
The docuseries shows how much players struggle when they lose so often, and they constantly have to beat people to get a title. Many players said they feel like they have lost if they do not win the entire tournament. This puts a lot of pressure on them to succeed and pushes them to a “break point.”
The show follows many great stories and struggles, including Ons Jabeur, a female tennis player from Tunisia. She had to work hard to get where she is because she does not come from a rich tennis country. Instead, she had to train hard, as she could not afford coaches and trainers. Her story was very inspiring, and she also talked about the struggles of wanting a family as a female athlete and how it can be hard to work this into your career.
Other players like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Maria Sakkari and Nick Kyrgios are featured in the series and talk about their struggles with trying to get to the top and the stress of traveling constantly and pushing themselves to be the best. Felix is one of the youngest players touring and has felt immense pressure since he was a child. Maria and Nick describe their mental health struggles and their challenges they have had to overcome to win. The players inspired me to watch more tennis, and I cannot wait for the second part to come out in June.
Tennis is a great workout and can be fun whether you are an amazing player or a bad one. It is a social sport that you can play with your friends and family. Tennis can exercise your whole body, with your arms smashing the balls and your legs sprinting back and forth on the court. It is also great for hand-eye coordination and can improve your reflexes with quick rallies. It also can be more fun than a regular workout because you are playing a fun game with friends. I always feel like I’m in elementary school gym class, having a blast at recess. There are lots of great places to play tennis for free, as many parks have courts that are free to the public.
Tennis is always great to play with friends, because you can make it as casual or as intense as you want. Sometimes my friends and I will spend hours on the court, gossiping and taking water breaks lying on the warm concrete. It is so fun to laugh at each other’s mistakes while catching up on your lives and exercising at the same time. You can even make it more of an event and go get smoothies or another great snack after.
Tennis is called a lifelong sport for a reason. It is never too late to learn, and you can play as long as you want. My friends and I joke about how we will be playing tennis and gossiping on the courts into our 80s. So pick up a racket, grab your friends, and go learn to play an amazing sport!