Tennis’ foray into pop culture escalated this month with the release of Netflix’s Break Point, an opportunity to showcase the sport to the average fan, casual observer or those who have never watched it before.
Hardcore tennis followers have watched it, too, of course.
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Based on the online giant’s hugely popular Formula One show, Drive to Survive, it features behind-the-scenes material with early episodes focusing on some of tennis’ biggest names, including Nick Kyrgios, Ons Jabeur, Matteo Berrettini, Taylor Fritz and Maria Sakkari.
All those players, and more, have already exited this Australian Open, a point noted by several on social media. Surely a coincidence.
But as for showcasing personality and personalities in tennis as a whole, Victoria Azarenka is all for it.
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At the age of 33, Azarenka is one of the tour’s elder stateswomen, not to mention a two-time Australian Open champion and former world No.1.
“I wish there was a bit more variety and showing a little bit more personalities in general,” Azarenka told ausopen.com.
“Tennis is a very classic sport and it doesn't allow too much room for personalities, even though I think we have a lot of great personalities.
“And I think for viewers, it's exciting to see, not necessarily like drama or conflict or whatever, but just a bit more realness, more authenticity.
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“We are all emotional people, we are competitive. So there you go through a rollercoaster of things, but you kind of try to keep it all controlled. And sometimes I feel like there's not enough acceptance and room to just show your real personalities.”
Indeed, in the social media age, some onlookers are quick to flag anything they deem inappropriate, as it relates to on-court conduct, for example.
They might be in the minority, but players are bound to see it.
Having social media accounts allows the players to interact with their fans but it is a delicate balance for Azarenka, whose Twitter following alone stands at 1.3 million.
“I believe that I'm very authentic," she says. But adds that sharing very personal things with public can make her feel “kind of vulnerable.”
“And it's also scary because you're getting judged a lot. Sometimes you get really in an emotional place, in a dark place, when you lose or something happens in your life.”
“And that negative cloud is really heavy. And what I've noticed in my career, the people ride with you very high when you're winning and it gets very low when you're down, and it gets lonely."
“So I feel like I've found that balance more about not paying that much attention to it.”
Azarenka revealed during her resurgence at the US Open in 2020 — making the final, where she led Naomi Osaka by a set and break — that she had almost quit tennis due to “personal issues.”
At one stage, she didn’t pick up a racquet for five months and only weeks before the US Open held a ranking of 59.
Her current ranking is 24 and Azarenka is the favourite, on paper, on Sunday to reach her first quarterfinal at Melbourne Park since 2016. She meets 87th-ranked Zhu Lin of China.
Besides being one of the world’s best in tennis, Azarenka is also a football (or soccer) fan.
Her son Leo, 6, loves Paris Saint-Germain — Lionel Messi’s team — and Azarenka wore a PSG jersey entering the court Friday against Madison Keys.
Leo joined one of his mum’s press conferences last year at the Australian Open but isn’t with Azarenka this time around.
“He will be back,” said Azarenka. “He's just now in school. And everybody keeps saying to me, like, ‘Oh, yeah, he's in school.’ And I'm like, ‘Oh my God.’ The time flies. He's already six. So, it's amazing moments, but it's also like it's coming really fast.”