For anyone who enjoyed, or sweated through, the white-knuckle excitement of last year’s U.S. Open, the first five episodes of “Break Point” will serve a followup, highlighting a new generation of professional tennis.
Although the event saw the departure from professional sports of Serena Williams , it marked the emergence of a virtual constellation of nascent stars, including Casper Ruud , Ajla Tomljanović , Ons Jabeur , Frances Tiafoe and the men’s and women’s champions, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Świątek .
Mr. Alcaraz and Ms. Świątek get scant mention in these initial parts of “Break Point,” but that will likely be addressed when the series resumes in June with another five sections; Netflix wouldn’t say what the subsequent chapters contain, but a teaser at the end of episode 5 indicates that most sins of omission will be corrected.
In the meantime, the series begins following its subjects at last year’s Australian Open (with a couple of flashes further back for context), and the sense is of a series so rich in material—from games, interviews, crowds and aerial shots to triumphs, tears and tantrums—it makes one appreciate the kind of highly polished documentary one can make with enough resources and a hyperactive approach to editing.