Noor Casper Ruud discusses the Netflix tennis series ‘Break Point’ on Wednesday during the Indian Wells Masters
MATTHEW STOCKMAN
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World number three Casper Ruud would like the Netflix tennis docu series Break Point to look more at competition on the court, but Maria Sakkari was happy to open the show.
“I hope we get a little bit more actinon court next season and maybe not so many other things,” said Ruud, whose lead-up to the 2022 French Open final was featured in one episode.
Ruud said he made a conscious choice not to reveal too much of his personal life in front of the cameras.
But he said the show did reflect the players’ ups and downs — including a provocative moment at the French Open when the grounds crew, fearing rain, wouldn’t let him warm up for his semifinal.
“I was quite angry,” he said. “They said it was going to rain, but it didn’t rain when we got to the track. That was the sort of hiccup and discussion going on.
“I don’t know if it was good or not, but Netflix was there to absorb it all. I was getting more and more frustrated because they just refused us to play even though it wasn’t raining.
“I almost forgot it happened because it was a big week for me, a big tournament. I reached my first final at a Grand Slam, and that little hiccup wasn’t what I thought about, you know, when the show was on are going to hatch.
“But it was also kind of funny looking back at what can sometimes happen for us. It’s not always a smooth ride.”
He would have liked to see more of the tension he felt facing two Scandinavian opponents, including his comeback from two sets to one down in the third round against a Finnish foe.
Greece’s Sakkari, whose run-up to the 2022 Indian Wells WTA Finals was covered in one episode, was candid about the difficulties of the game’s mental side and said she thought it was good to be open.
“I just felt like if I’m doing it, I want to do it the right way,” said Sakkari. “I don’t want to hide anything. I don’t want to pretend.”
She did say the producers “have a kind of charisma or a way of making you feel like we’re friends in a good way, so you have a friendly conversation.
“Once you get to know them a little bit better, you open up and feel comfortable just talking about your emotions and how you feel on tour.
“I just didn’t feel like there was a reason to hide and not be transparent and honest about how I felt last year because it was very challenging.
“I’m very happy that a lot of people liked it, and I’ve had really good feedback.”
Sakkari and Ruud both said their presence on the show, which has been confirmed for another season, had raised their profile.
Ruud recalled a woman at a grocery store in Florida where he was training last month and told him that she and her husband had seen him on the show the night before.
“I haven’t been an overnight global superstar or anything, but I think more people in the world have seen the show.
“It’s positive for us if more people know and are interested in tennis.”
Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime said he thought the impact was more noticeable in the United States.
“When I go out to eat or go to the supermarket, a lot more people recognize me and other players,” he said. “They say, ‘I just watched your episode and I loved it.’