Break Point (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 10 - Episode #1.10 - full transcript
Do you have something here?
- Throw it back.
- Yeah?
Ladies and gentlemen,
Aryna Sabalenka, my stylist.
What are you gonna pay me?
I'll pay you with love.
I hit you with the ball. That's my love.
The WTA and ATP Finals
are the culmination of the year.
It's the best of the best.
It selects
the eight best players of the season,
and that's why
it's incredibly prestigious to win it.
The prize money if you
win all your matches is 4.7 million.
That's a lot in one week.
It's a pretty intense way
to finish a year.
Everyone has their sights set on
playing at the World Tour Final.
It was super tough for me
to make it here and be here. It's amazing.
It was really nice to see all the girls
dressed up looking stunning,
not on the court, sweating, screaming,
yelling and swearing.
It's great to look
alongside your peers and know that
you've battled it out
and you've all made it.
But at the end of the day,
you're there to win.
I really want to win titles.
The WTA Finals is my last chance
to make it happen.
There she is! My girl!
What's up? How are you doing?
Nice to see you.
Come on.
Have you been to Nike HQ before?
It's all your size so we can go through,
see what you like.
You don't have to pick one or the other.
- Cool?
- I like that. Why not?
I'm Aryna Sabalenka. 24 years old already.
- 24 already?
- Yeah, I feel old.
- Okay, I'll go for this one.
- This one?
At the beginning of the year,
I was world number 2.
- Are we ready?
- Ooh!
There she is.
My ambition was to win
a Grand Slam and to finish the year as #1.
Here?
But now I'm in the end
of the season.
There is zero titles in my pocket.
Whatever...
But I like challenges. I like battles.
I like to fight.
Aryna Sabalenka. When she's on,
she can hit anybody off the court.
Some people,
when they step on the tennis court,
you see the aura, you feel, "Wow."
Aryna has that.
She's a fighter,
and she's the hardest hitter on the tour.
She's intimidating.
A tiger tattoo symbolizing
her aggressive attitude toward tennis.
Terrific from Sabalenka.
The problem is that
if the doubt creeps in, she can struggle.
And no matter what your level is,
you're only as good as your mind lets you.
She's at the limit
of exploding anytime.
It depends what her attitude is
on the day. She can easily throw it away.
There's a cowboy!
I'd go for a ride.
In a cowboy hat and boots.
And on a pony.
Damn, I'd feel sorry for the pony.
Welcome to the WTA Finals.
Only the top eight players in the world
are here in Dallas,
but after a scintillating season,
there's one clear favorite.
This year, I became world number 1,
so I'm at any tournament to win.
When you get to the Finals,
there are no easy matches.
You've got to have your A game
every match.
So the top eight players
in the world get divided into two groups.
Each group will play a round-robin format
to decide who will make it through
to the semi-final knockout stages.
I feel it's a miracle for me to be here,
and I'm just enjoying every second.
Aryna Sabalenka has fought
tooth and nail to make it to the Finals.
I play against Sakkari,
Jessica Pegula, and Jabeur.
I know it's going to be tough.
It's much warmer here.
So it will bounce a little bit higher.
Aryna Sabalenka,
kudos to her to get to the Finals here.
Because this year, she was a mess.
The first tournament in Australia...
oh my god.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
Um, I couldn't serve there.
I don't know what was going on.
I saw everything around the ball.
But I couldn't see the ball.
I was panicking.
It's like you don't feel your body,
you don't control your arms,
your legs, just nothing.
After that, I just... I couldn't play.
Sabalenka is fighting with herself.
It feels like complete shit.
Sometimes there's something
deeper than tennis going on.
And what to say about
the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka.
Twenty double faults.
She seems to be really struggling.
This is the worst feeling ever
I had on a tennis court. The worst.
For me, it's so emotional.
I don't know, maybe because
I really want to do well in tennis.
I lost my father four years ago.
We had one dream: that before 25
I will win a couple of Grand Slams.
And when he passed away,
I started thinking too much about it.
Now I'm 24 and there is zero in my pocket.
I feel like I just put
so much pressure on myself,
and I was overthinking about everything.
I was feeling like
I just have to fight through it.
And then... some worse things
happen in our countries.
So, it was so bad.
Breaking news this morning, it is war.
President Putin has announced
the start of a "military operation."
Putin has ordered troops and tanks
across the Ukrainian border
and targeted major cities
with ballistic missiles.
I'm from Belarus, so I felt really bad.
It's tough. It's really tough,
what they're dealing with.
If I could have any control of it,
then of course, I would do everything
I can to stop everything.
You start to feel really guilty
because your country is a part of this.
But also, you have to be really careful
because in our country you cannot say
a word about what's going on.
Or if you just say the word "war,"
like, "Okay. You will die in jail."
So it's, like, very difficult.
It was kind of this pressure
around, like, "You have to talk,"
but also there is no right words for you.
I just hope for the peace, and hopefully
everything will stop very soon.
Wimbledon is banning
Russian and Belarusian tennis players
from this summer's tournament because
of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus,
who's been allowed to compete on the tour
as an individual,
will be barred from Wimbledon.
Everyone started talking about,
"You have to ban all the players
from Russia and Belarus,"
and I thought that everyone is
looking weird to me, you know?
I felt like everyone hates me
because of my country.
If you're talking about the
tennis perspective, she struggled a lot.
But I think tennis
is not really important right now.
After the match,
I opened Instagram.
And the first thing that popped up, like,
"You fucking bitch, you're gonna die!"
Or like..."You better die.
And I wish all your family will die
from cancer" and blah, blah, blah.
And you see these messages
and I cannot handle it anymore.
This is way too much.
Don't worry about it.
Don't tell me not to worry.
Now everyone is watching me
fucking losing it.
I just don't want to play tennis anymore.
End of.
It's all telling me I should quit.
Honestly, I thought
that I was gonna stop playing tennis
because it was so bad.
Why didn't you?
But it was our dream with my dad.
And I was like, "I cannot quit.
He wouldn't accept this.
He would say like, um,
'You fucking kidding me? You're going
to be tough. Like a champion!'"
And I was like, "No, I have to keep going.
I just have to."
Sabalenka had
a terrible start to the season,
but in the last few months,
she's managed to find her form again.
She has got a proper test on her hands,
taking on the world number 2, Ons Jabeur.
Let's hear it for Aryna Sabalenka!
She's the most successful Arab player
in WTA history: Ons Jabeur!
Sabalenka! Such power
coming from the racket of this player.
Oh, wow. Look at the touch
coming from Sabalenka there.
Sabalenka, big reaction.
She looks like she's on a mission here.
Sabalenka has a huge opportunity
to close out this match here
with her first match point.
And she's done it! Absolutely incredible.
This is how it feels.
The emotion from Sabalenka.
Been fighting tooth and nails here.
She knew how important this was,
and those tears are definitely showing up.
And what it meant for her in this season
to beat the number 2 player in the world.
What a comeback.
Oh my God. It felt amazing.
It felt like, "Yes, I am in the right
place. I'm on the right way.
I'm just glad that I'm still here,
competing."
What's up, Mom?
You sound like somebody has died!
Thank you, Mom.
Love you, too. Go to sleep. Night, night.
This is the tournament
that everyone has their sights set on.
It's a massive achievement
just to be here.
But honestly, I wasn't expecting
to be a part of the World Tour Finals.
This season was
such a rollercoaster for me.
Went into the U.S. Open feeling great.
And then I lost in the first round.
I really thought my World Tour Final hopes
were over after that.
Championship point for Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz won the U.S. Open,
locked up world number 1 spot,
but he injured himself in Paris
the last tournament.
Taylor Fritz squeezed in
for the last spot.
It's a very elite tournament,
but I'm sure he'll be ready.
Rafa!
Feeling good. It's a long carpet.
I guess you kind of thought
you'd be on holiday by now.
Yeah, that was insane.
But here I am, you know,
ready to finish my year.
One, two, three!
I open first match against Rafa.
So that'll be a good one.
Aren't his feet so weird shaped?
Look at that.
- It's just my left.
- It's the biggest arch I've ever seen.
Come on.
How you feel? Do you feel like
it's gonna be a battle?
I feel like he really wants to come out
tomorrow and just beat the shit out of me.
'Cause Indian Wells was his first loss
of the year. So I should be worried.
I think he's so excited to play you.
I think he's pumped to play you.
Yeah, it's gonna be an interesting one,
it's a big match.
And obviously, I just can't stop hearing,
like, "Rafa had his rib injury."
Blah blah blah, like, "He would have
killed you if he was fine."
I'm just, like, "Shut the fuck up."
I dunno. I'm sick of everyone, like,
trying to discredit the win.
I just want to win.
I want it to be fully, like...
Just legit, you know?
The group stages kick off here in Turin
with the first of our round robin matches,
and it's a belter.
I just need to find my game again.
Because when I play my game
and I'm playing well,
I can beat anybody.
There's a lot on the line.
Ready... play.
Impressive from Taylor Fritz
going toe-to-toe with Rafa Nadal.
What a shot.
He's snapping it like a crocodile there.
It's just big hitting between both of us.
He crushes the ball, I crush the ball.
The American comes
up trumps. Big trouble for Rafa Nadal.
Three set points.
What a shot.
Ripping through the forehand again.
Taylor Fritz takes the opening set.
I definitely feel like
I'm super close to something big.
Brilliant from Fritz.
He knows there's not
that intimidation factor.
Another incredible point
from Taylor Fritz.
A 5-1 lead.
Taylor Fritz serving for the match.
Out!
He's made it! Taylor Fritz
beating the top seed, Rafa Nadal,
for the second time this season.
Nadal, he put in a good fight,
Fritz just stepped up
and knocked him off the court.
It feels really good
knowing that I did it.
I don't see why I can't go further.
I can't relax now because I won.
- Well done, man!
- Thank you.
Good job.
Game, set, match, Sabalenka!
An absolutely blistering
start from Aryna Sabalenka,
holding off the advances
of Jessica Pegula.
And now she will wait to see
what her fortunes are for the semi-final.
Recovery is also part
of the process.
It's all so weird right now.
Yeah, that's it.
It's Świątek vs Kasatkina.
Long rallies.
Iga Świątek, with a swagger,
has won the group in style.
She takes on Aryna Sabalenka
in tomorrow's semi-finals.
A tough match.
This season, Iga Świątek, she won
everything. It was so annoying.
If I have to define Iga,
it would be mental stability.
That's the exact opposite for Aryna, who's
a great player, but mentally unstable.
Ladies and gentlemen: Iga Świątek!
Yeah, Iga is the target for me.
This season she beat me,
like, four times.
I was really pissed off.
So I really need this revenge for myself.
I have to be physically,
mentally ready for her.
Being away from home,
you're living the vast majority
of your year on the road.
That's yours...
It's just a constant mental battle.
- They packed enough.
- Oh, son of a bitch.
I knew I was gonna do that.
I have a son that I don't get
to see near as much as I'd like.
Go!
Jordan is my son
from a previous relationship.
I had him when I had just turned 19.
As it stands right now, I just have to try
to see him as much as I possibly can.
I just hope as he gets older,
he understands what I'm doing
and understands what I'm trying to do.
You know... When I told him that I'm not
the best tennis player in the world,
he's a little surprised and a little
disappointed that I'm not the best.
He's not easily impressed.
I guess I just need to keep improving.
So maybe at one point I can say,
"I actually am the best in the world."
Here at the ATP Finals,
we've seen some pulsating tennis.
Nadal is on fire.
That is just stunning.
Fresh off the back of winning four titles,
Félix Auger-Aliassime is seeking
to get sweet revenge on Rafael Nadal
who beat him at Roland Garros.
Félix Auger-Aliassime.
His first victory over Rafa Nadal.
This time, Uncle Toni is in his box.
- Very good. You played well.
- Thank you.
In the late night match...
Taylor Fritz!
...the dark horse of the event,
Taylor Fritz...
Out!
...defeats fellow rookie
Félix Auger-Aliassime
to book himself a spot in the semi-finals.
And that would be quite an achievement
in his debut here in the season-ender.
He plays
the five times ATP Final champion...
...Novak Djokovic...
who beat Daniil Medvedev
in an epic three-hour battle
that pushed both players
to their physical and mental limits.
And keep his unbeaten record
alive and well in Turin.
- Well done, man. Great job.
- Thanks, man. Thanks.
You need to sleep. You're not gonna be
done with treatment until 4:00 A.M.
That's only six hours of sleep.
It's not enough.
It's not enough, mate. That's...
I played 40-some-odd night matches.
You get through it, maybe it's 2 A.M.
You know you have
to get ready to do it again,
and your recovery time
has been essentially cut in half.
Let's get the ball rolling and get
out of here as quickly as possible.
Yeah? Let's go.
You have to do press and eat.
You have to get ice baths and massage.
Maybe getting back to the hotel at 5 or 6.
Hopefully you sleep, and then the short
turnaround, and you gotta do it again.
Taylor, he has the ability
to bring it.
But Novak's nowhere near being done.
He's licking his chops at the moment.
He knows what it takes
on the tail end of a tournament.
Not to go far, but to win.
In Paris he started off
serving wide quite a bit on both sides.
Five minutes till.
So early.
Court's fat, so the chip is effective.
Just don't get beat wide.
It's different playing Novak
to everybody else.
I beat Rafa. I beat Félix.
I've shown why I deserve to be here,
but Novak is the only person on tour
that I actually haven't beaten.
It would definitely be a big statement.
- You want anything else?
- I want to win.
Tennis is as much mental
as it is physical.
You have to be thinking very clearly
on the court.
And that's kind of what it's about.
It's just that focus.
Taylor Fritz!
From Serbia, Novak Djokovic!
The super-Serb goes in
search of a sixth Nitto ATP Finals title.
Ready... play.
Here we go, Taylor!
Fritz will kick this off.
Fritz has made a decent start to this.
Living with Djokovic
in these early stages.
Game, Djokovic.
Into a tiebreak
to decide this opening set.
Tightest of matches.
Everyone's feeling the tension.
That's the mark of a champion.
He's got a one-set lead.
Djokovic was there
for the taking in that opening set.
Fritz just couldn't bring his A-game.
I can't afford to play like
that. I need to bring my best.
Right here! Let's go!
That's world class from Taylor Fritz.
Well, well, well, there's the break.
Whenever I can impose
my aggressive game on him,
it makes him feel uncomfortable.
Oh, that's big.
That's what he's capable of.
Oh, what a volley!
There's a real opportunity here for Fritz
to cause what would be a big upset.
Just two points away from the second set.
Ladies and gentlemen, please.
Big point here.
Oh, there was noise,
wasn't there, from the crowd?
What an asshole.
That shout just enough for him
to lose his focus on the shot.
You can see he's angry.
That's a really tough one to take
for Taylor Fritz
who was just two points away from the set.
We're about
to find out whether Fritz
has been able to clear his mind.
Time.
Match point.
Out!
Djokovic marches on.
This guy's able to deliver
under pressure time and time again.
The Turin crowd show their appreciation
for Fritz. It's been an amazing season,
and a good week here on his
Nitto ATP Finals debut run to the semis
and pushed Djokovic very close.
He'll maybe just rue the fact
the shout from the crowd put him off,
but he shouldn't be too disheartened
by the way he's played.
He's played some great tennis.
Watch out.
Hi.
- Good fight.
- Such fucking bullshit.
- Great fight.
- Such fucking bullshit, man.
It's such an easy shot if I can just like
time the ball and...
Literally fucking... what do you even
scream, fucking "Novak" or something?
Now is probably not the best time
for me to give a good answer
for the reflection of the week.
But I'm sure in two weeks from now, I'm
gonna feel a lot better about my tennis.
- Thanks a lot.
- Thank you very much.
There's a lot of things I need
to improve on, but today is so close.
Now I'm established and in the top 10,
I think that I need to up it even more.
The next step is top 5, top 3.
I want to have the mindset
of doing everything I can
to be the number one player in the world.
Hello!
I have to be stronger than
her. I have to move better than her.
And then with Iga, if you lose your mind,
then there is zero chances to win.
Please welcome Aryna Sabalenka!
And joining her tonight, she's the number
1 player in the world... Iga Świątek!
Aryna Sabalenka to serve.
Ready?
Play.
Fault.
Sabalenka off to a tough start.
20th double fault of the tournament.
It is exactly
the mentality of this woman...
"In trouble? Hit harder."
Game, Sabalenka.
Sabalenka is driving Iga
pretty much nuts right now.
I felt so good
because I can move better than her.
Sabalenka looking
to steal the opening set.
She's got it. Aryna Sabalenka
has the world number 1 on the ropes.
But then I start
thinking about the final,
about the title, about my dream,
and about things I was going through.
Too good. Big strike from Świątek.
Something changed.
Świątek has come back untouchable.
Sabalenka was MIA on that one.
It's a lot of thoughts in your mind...
...and I think that's why I lost my focus.
Sabalenka becoming
just a bit too error-prone.
- Come on!
- Game and set.
Couldn't do anything about
it. She's starting to get out of sorts.
What am I doing wrong?
Like what else I can do?
But then I realized because of struggling
with so many things
that everything happened for the reason.
What can break me?
I can fight through everything.
I found this power.
That's mighty.
The one thing we know
about Sabalenka is that she's a fighter.
So effortless, and yet,
so powerful. She just swings a big ax.
Ace number 12.
And a chance to knock off
the world number 1.
Match point.
Sabalenka was able
to hold her nerve and her serve to finish
and she gets the ultimate revenge
against the woman who had her number
all season long.
I was feeling like
I'm the toughest person on this planet.
I was like "Yes, thanks God."
"Thanks that I didn't stop.
Thanks that I didn't quit."
"Thanks that I keep pushing myself,
keep trying, keep fighting."
And I'm like, "Yes, all this
for this fucking moment."
You never know in tennis.
You just have to fight.
Do you think you're
the person and the player you are now
because of your father?
Yeah, I think so. Yeah. 100%.
Now... time to pack and move on.
I'm ready to go home.
I'm very proud of what I've learned
this year, but it's far from over.
Next year, who knows? Let's see.
I don't know what's
gonna happen next. I just know that
I have so much more to give to this sport.
I feel like the sky
could be the limit for me.
I'm just excited
for what's next.
Kinda just keep building on this success.
And I want more of it.
It doesn't stop here.
What's the capital
of Georgia?
- The country of Georgia?
- Yeah.
- Do you know that?
- Yes.
- What is it?
- Tbilisi.
How do you know that?
I'll just go for the top.
I know it's gonna be tough.
I'm not even sure if I can achieve it next
season, but I'm gonna go all in for it.
Who knows? I'll just put a massive
question mark on 2023. Hold tight.
- Damn, Nick!
- Relax, bro. We're warming up.
I will use this experience of
this year to continue and make history.
Novak's absolutely
still the one to beat.
This whole group is improving and getting
better. We're only getting started.
Today is Championship day.
I had this belief that this is
going to be the perfect end of the season.
Caroline Garcia.
Champion of the 2022 WTA Finals.
I was so disappointed.
But I really feel that mentally
I'm stronger than I was before.
Next season, it's my year, guys.
- Throw it back.
- Yeah?
Ladies and gentlemen,
Aryna Sabalenka, my stylist.
What are you gonna pay me?
I'll pay you with love.
I hit you with the ball. That's my love.
The WTA and ATP Finals
are the culmination of the year.
It's the best of the best.
It selects
the eight best players of the season,
and that's why
it's incredibly prestigious to win it.
The prize money if you
win all your matches is 4.7 million.
That's a lot in one week.
It's a pretty intense way
to finish a year.
Everyone has their sights set on
playing at the World Tour Final.
It was super tough for me
to make it here and be here. It's amazing.
It was really nice to see all the girls
dressed up looking stunning,
not on the court, sweating, screaming,
yelling and swearing.
It's great to look
alongside your peers and know that
you've battled it out
and you've all made it.
But at the end of the day,
you're there to win.
I really want to win titles.
The WTA Finals is my last chance
to make it happen.
There she is! My girl!
What's up? How are you doing?
Nice to see you.
Come on.
Have you been to Nike HQ before?
It's all your size so we can go through,
see what you like.
You don't have to pick one or the other.
- Cool?
- I like that. Why not?
I'm Aryna Sabalenka. 24 years old already.
- 24 already?
- Yeah, I feel old.
- Okay, I'll go for this one.
- This one?
At the beginning of the year,
I was world number 2.
- Are we ready?
- Ooh!
There she is.
My ambition was to win
a Grand Slam and to finish the year as #1.
Here?
But now I'm in the end
of the season.
There is zero titles in my pocket.
Whatever...
But I like challenges. I like battles.
I like to fight.
Aryna Sabalenka. When she's on,
she can hit anybody off the court.
Some people,
when they step on the tennis court,
you see the aura, you feel, "Wow."
Aryna has that.
She's a fighter,
and she's the hardest hitter on the tour.
She's intimidating.
A tiger tattoo symbolizing
her aggressive attitude toward tennis.
Terrific from Sabalenka.
The problem is that
if the doubt creeps in, she can struggle.
And no matter what your level is,
you're only as good as your mind lets you.
She's at the limit
of exploding anytime.
It depends what her attitude is
on the day. She can easily throw it away.
There's a cowboy!
I'd go for a ride.
In a cowboy hat and boots.
And on a pony.
Damn, I'd feel sorry for the pony.
Welcome to the WTA Finals.
Only the top eight players in the world
are here in Dallas,
but after a scintillating season,
there's one clear favorite.
This year, I became world number 1,
so I'm at any tournament to win.
When you get to the Finals,
there are no easy matches.
You've got to have your A game
every match.
So the top eight players
in the world get divided into two groups.
Each group will play a round-robin format
to decide who will make it through
to the semi-final knockout stages.
I feel it's a miracle for me to be here,
and I'm just enjoying every second.
Aryna Sabalenka has fought
tooth and nail to make it to the Finals.
I play against Sakkari,
Jessica Pegula, and Jabeur.
I know it's going to be tough.
It's much warmer here.
So it will bounce a little bit higher.
Aryna Sabalenka,
kudos to her to get to the Finals here.
Because this year, she was a mess.
The first tournament in Australia...
oh my god.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
Um, I couldn't serve there.
I don't know what was going on.
I saw everything around the ball.
But I couldn't see the ball.
I was panicking.
It's like you don't feel your body,
you don't control your arms,
your legs, just nothing.
After that, I just... I couldn't play.
Sabalenka is fighting with herself.
It feels like complete shit.
Sometimes there's something
deeper than tennis going on.
And what to say about
the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka.
Twenty double faults.
She seems to be really struggling.
This is the worst feeling ever
I had on a tennis court. The worst.
For me, it's so emotional.
I don't know, maybe because
I really want to do well in tennis.
I lost my father four years ago.
We had one dream: that before 25
I will win a couple of Grand Slams.
And when he passed away,
I started thinking too much about it.
Now I'm 24 and there is zero in my pocket.
I feel like I just put
so much pressure on myself,
and I was overthinking about everything.
I was feeling like
I just have to fight through it.
And then... some worse things
happen in our countries.
So, it was so bad.
Breaking news this morning, it is war.
President Putin has announced
the start of a "military operation."
Putin has ordered troops and tanks
across the Ukrainian border
and targeted major cities
with ballistic missiles.
I'm from Belarus, so I felt really bad.
It's tough. It's really tough,
what they're dealing with.
If I could have any control of it,
then of course, I would do everything
I can to stop everything.
You start to feel really guilty
because your country is a part of this.
But also, you have to be really careful
because in our country you cannot say
a word about what's going on.
Or if you just say the word "war,"
like, "Okay. You will die in jail."
So it's, like, very difficult.
It was kind of this pressure
around, like, "You have to talk,"
but also there is no right words for you.
I just hope for the peace, and hopefully
everything will stop very soon.
Wimbledon is banning
Russian and Belarusian tennis players
from this summer's tournament because
of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus,
who's been allowed to compete on the tour
as an individual,
will be barred from Wimbledon.
Everyone started talking about,
"You have to ban all the players
from Russia and Belarus,"
and I thought that everyone is
looking weird to me, you know?
I felt like everyone hates me
because of my country.
If you're talking about the
tennis perspective, she struggled a lot.
But I think tennis
is not really important right now.
After the match,
I opened Instagram.
And the first thing that popped up, like,
"You fucking bitch, you're gonna die!"
Or like..."You better die.
And I wish all your family will die
from cancer" and blah, blah, blah.
And you see these messages
and I cannot handle it anymore.
This is way too much.
Don't worry about it.
Don't tell me not to worry.
Now everyone is watching me
fucking losing it.
I just don't want to play tennis anymore.
End of.
It's all telling me I should quit.
Honestly, I thought
that I was gonna stop playing tennis
because it was so bad.
Why didn't you?
But it was our dream with my dad.
And I was like, "I cannot quit.
He wouldn't accept this.
He would say like, um,
'You fucking kidding me? You're going
to be tough. Like a champion!'"
And I was like, "No, I have to keep going.
I just have to."
Sabalenka had
a terrible start to the season,
but in the last few months,
she's managed to find her form again.
She has got a proper test on her hands,
taking on the world number 2, Ons Jabeur.
Let's hear it for Aryna Sabalenka!
She's the most successful Arab player
in WTA history: Ons Jabeur!
Sabalenka! Such power
coming from the racket of this player.
Oh, wow. Look at the touch
coming from Sabalenka there.
Sabalenka, big reaction.
She looks like she's on a mission here.
Sabalenka has a huge opportunity
to close out this match here
with her first match point.
And she's done it! Absolutely incredible.
This is how it feels.
The emotion from Sabalenka.
Been fighting tooth and nails here.
She knew how important this was,
and those tears are definitely showing up.
And what it meant for her in this season
to beat the number 2 player in the world.
What a comeback.
Oh my God. It felt amazing.
It felt like, "Yes, I am in the right
place. I'm on the right way.
I'm just glad that I'm still here,
competing."
What's up, Mom?
You sound like somebody has died!
Thank you, Mom.
Love you, too. Go to sleep. Night, night.
This is the tournament
that everyone has their sights set on.
It's a massive achievement
just to be here.
But honestly, I wasn't expecting
to be a part of the World Tour Finals.
This season was
such a rollercoaster for me.
Went into the U.S. Open feeling great.
And then I lost in the first round.
I really thought my World Tour Final hopes
were over after that.
Championship point for Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz won the U.S. Open,
locked up world number 1 spot,
but he injured himself in Paris
the last tournament.
Taylor Fritz squeezed in
for the last spot.
It's a very elite tournament,
but I'm sure he'll be ready.
Rafa!
Feeling good. It's a long carpet.
I guess you kind of thought
you'd be on holiday by now.
Yeah, that was insane.
But here I am, you know,
ready to finish my year.
One, two, three!
I open first match against Rafa.
So that'll be a good one.
Aren't his feet so weird shaped?
Look at that.
- It's just my left.
- It's the biggest arch I've ever seen.
Come on.
How you feel? Do you feel like
it's gonna be a battle?
I feel like he really wants to come out
tomorrow and just beat the shit out of me.
'Cause Indian Wells was his first loss
of the year. So I should be worried.
I think he's so excited to play you.
I think he's pumped to play you.
Yeah, it's gonna be an interesting one,
it's a big match.
And obviously, I just can't stop hearing,
like, "Rafa had his rib injury."
Blah blah blah, like, "He would have
killed you if he was fine."
I'm just, like, "Shut the fuck up."
I dunno. I'm sick of everyone, like,
trying to discredit the win.
I just want to win.
I want it to be fully, like...
Just legit, you know?
The group stages kick off here in Turin
with the first of our round robin matches,
and it's a belter.
I just need to find my game again.
Because when I play my game
and I'm playing well,
I can beat anybody.
There's a lot on the line.
Ready... play.
Impressive from Taylor Fritz
going toe-to-toe with Rafa Nadal.
What a shot.
He's snapping it like a crocodile there.
It's just big hitting between both of us.
He crushes the ball, I crush the ball.
The American comes
up trumps. Big trouble for Rafa Nadal.
Three set points.
What a shot.
Ripping through the forehand again.
Taylor Fritz takes the opening set.
I definitely feel like
I'm super close to something big.
Brilliant from Fritz.
He knows there's not
that intimidation factor.
Another incredible point
from Taylor Fritz.
A 5-1 lead.
Taylor Fritz serving for the match.
Out!
He's made it! Taylor Fritz
beating the top seed, Rafa Nadal,
for the second time this season.
Nadal, he put in a good fight,
Fritz just stepped up
and knocked him off the court.
It feels really good
knowing that I did it.
I don't see why I can't go further.
I can't relax now because I won.
- Well done, man!
- Thank you.
Good job.
Game, set, match, Sabalenka!
An absolutely blistering
start from Aryna Sabalenka,
holding off the advances
of Jessica Pegula.
And now she will wait to see
what her fortunes are for the semi-final.
Recovery is also part
of the process.
It's all so weird right now.
Yeah, that's it.
It's Świątek vs Kasatkina.
Long rallies.
Iga Świątek, with a swagger,
has won the group in style.
She takes on Aryna Sabalenka
in tomorrow's semi-finals.
A tough match.
This season, Iga Świątek, she won
everything. It was so annoying.
If I have to define Iga,
it would be mental stability.
That's the exact opposite for Aryna, who's
a great player, but mentally unstable.
Ladies and gentlemen: Iga Świątek!
Yeah, Iga is the target for me.
This season she beat me,
like, four times.
I was really pissed off.
So I really need this revenge for myself.
I have to be physically,
mentally ready for her.
Being away from home,
you're living the vast majority
of your year on the road.
That's yours...
It's just a constant mental battle.
- They packed enough.
- Oh, son of a bitch.
I knew I was gonna do that.
I have a son that I don't get
to see near as much as I'd like.
Go!
Jordan is my son
from a previous relationship.
I had him when I had just turned 19.
As it stands right now, I just have to try
to see him as much as I possibly can.
I just hope as he gets older,
he understands what I'm doing
and understands what I'm trying to do.
You know... When I told him that I'm not
the best tennis player in the world,
he's a little surprised and a little
disappointed that I'm not the best.
He's not easily impressed.
I guess I just need to keep improving.
So maybe at one point I can say,
"I actually am the best in the world."
Here at the ATP Finals,
we've seen some pulsating tennis.
Nadal is on fire.
That is just stunning.
Fresh off the back of winning four titles,
Félix Auger-Aliassime is seeking
to get sweet revenge on Rafael Nadal
who beat him at Roland Garros.
Félix Auger-Aliassime.
His first victory over Rafa Nadal.
This time, Uncle Toni is in his box.
- Very good. You played well.
- Thank you.
In the late night match...
Taylor Fritz!
...the dark horse of the event,
Taylor Fritz...
Out!
...defeats fellow rookie
Félix Auger-Aliassime
to book himself a spot in the semi-finals.
And that would be quite an achievement
in his debut here in the season-ender.
He plays
the five times ATP Final champion...
...Novak Djokovic...
who beat Daniil Medvedev
in an epic three-hour battle
that pushed both players
to their physical and mental limits.
And keep his unbeaten record
alive and well in Turin.
- Well done, man. Great job.
- Thanks, man. Thanks.
You need to sleep. You're not gonna be
done with treatment until 4:00 A.M.
That's only six hours of sleep.
It's not enough.
It's not enough, mate. That's...
I played 40-some-odd night matches.
You get through it, maybe it's 2 A.M.
You know you have
to get ready to do it again,
and your recovery time
has been essentially cut in half.
Let's get the ball rolling and get
out of here as quickly as possible.
Yeah? Let's go.
You have to do press and eat.
You have to get ice baths and massage.
Maybe getting back to the hotel at 5 or 6.
Hopefully you sleep, and then the short
turnaround, and you gotta do it again.
Taylor, he has the ability
to bring it.
But Novak's nowhere near being done.
He's licking his chops at the moment.
He knows what it takes
on the tail end of a tournament.
Not to go far, but to win.
In Paris he started off
serving wide quite a bit on both sides.
Five minutes till.
So early.
Court's fat, so the chip is effective.
Just don't get beat wide.
It's different playing Novak
to everybody else.
I beat Rafa. I beat Félix.
I've shown why I deserve to be here,
but Novak is the only person on tour
that I actually haven't beaten.
It would definitely be a big statement.
- You want anything else?
- I want to win.
Tennis is as much mental
as it is physical.
You have to be thinking very clearly
on the court.
And that's kind of what it's about.
It's just that focus.
Taylor Fritz!
From Serbia, Novak Djokovic!
The super-Serb goes in
search of a sixth Nitto ATP Finals title.
Ready... play.
Here we go, Taylor!
Fritz will kick this off.
Fritz has made a decent start to this.
Living with Djokovic
in these early stages.
Game, Djokovic.
Into a tiebreak
to decide this opening set.
Tightest of matches.
Everyone's feeling the tension.
That's the mark of a champion.
He's got a one-set lead.
Djokovic was there
for the taking in that opening set.
Fritz just couldn't bring his A-game.
I can't afford to play like
that. I need to bring my best.
Right here! Let's go!
That's world class from Taylor Fritz.
Well, well, well, there's the break.
Whenever I can impose
my aggressive game on him,
it makes him feel uncomfortable.
Oh, that's big.
That's what he's capable of.
Oh, what a volley!
There's a real opportunity here for Fritz
to cause what would be a big upset.
Just two points away from the second set.
Ladies and gentlemen, please.
Big point here.
Oh, there was noise,
wasn't there, from the crowd?
What an asshole.
That shout just enough for him
to lose his focus on the shot.
You can see he's angry.
That's a really tough one to take
for Taylor Fritz
who was just two points away from the set.
We're about
to find out whether Fritz
has been able to clear his mind.
Time.
Match point.
Out!
Djokovic marches on.
This guy's able to deliver
under pressure time and time again.
The Turin crowd show their appreciation
for Fritz. It's been an amazing season,
and a good week here on his
Nitto ATP Finals debut run to the semis
and pushed Djokovic very close.
He'll maybe just rue the fact
the shout from the crowd put him off,
but he shouldn't be too disheartened
by the way he's played.
He's played some great tennis.
Watch out.
Hi.
- Good fight.
- Such fucking bullshit.
- Great fight.
- Such fucking bullshit, man.
It's such an easy shot if I can just like
time the ball and...
Literally fucking... what do you even
scream, fucking "Novak" or something?
Now is probably not the best time
for me to give a good answer
for the reflection of the week.
But I'm sure in two weeks from now, I'm
gonna feel a lot better about my tennis.
- Thanks a lot.
- Thank you very much.
There's a lot of things I need
to improve on, but today is so close.
Now I'm established and in the top 10,
I think that I need to up it even more.
The next step is top 5, top 3.
I want to have the mindset
of doing everything I can
to be the number one player in the world.
Hello!
I have to be stronger than
her. I have to move better than her.
And then with Iga, if you lose your mind,
then there is zero chances to win.
Please welcome Aryna Sabalenka!
And joining her tonight, she's the number
1 player in the world... Iga Świątek!
Aryna Sabalenka to serve.
Ready?
Play.
Fault.
Sabalenka off to a tough start.
20th double fault of the tournament.
It is exactly
the mentality of this woman...
"In trouble? Hit harder."
Game, Sabalenka.
Sabalenka is driving Iga
pretty much nuts right now.
I felt so good
because I can move better than her.
Sabalenka looking
to steal the opening set.
She's got it. Aryna Sabalenka
has the world number 1 on the ropes.
But then I start
thinking about the final,
about the title, about my dream,
and about things I was going through.
Too good. Big strike from Świątek.
Something changed.
Świątek has come back untouchable.
Sabalenka was MIA on that one.
It's a lot of thoughts in your mind...
...and I think that's why I lost my focus.
Sabalenka becoming
just a bit too error-prone.
- Come on!
- Game and set.
Couldn't do anything about
it. She's starting to get out of sorts.
What am I doing wrong?
Like what else I can do?
But then I realized because of struggling
with so many things
that everything happened for the reason.
What can break me?
I can fight through everything.
I found this power.
That's mighty.
The one thing we know
about Sabalenka is that she's a fighter.
So effortless, and yet,
so powerful. She just swings a big ax.
Ace number 12.
And a chance to knock off
the world number 1.
Match point.
Sabalenka was able
to hold her nerve and her serve to finish
and she gets the ultimate revenge
against the woman who had her number
all season long.
I was feeling like
I'm the toughest person on this planet.
I was like "Yes, thanks God."
"Thanks that I didn't stop.
Thanks that I didn't quit."
"Thanks that I keep pushing myself,
keep trying, keep fighting."
And I'm like, "Yes, all this
for this fucking moment."
You never know in tennis.
You just have to fight.
Do you think you're
the person and the player you are now
because of your father?
Yeah, I think so. Yeah. 100%.
Now... time to pack and move on.
I'm ready to go home.
I'm very proud of what I've learned
this year, but it's far from over.
Next year, who knows? Let's see.
I don't know what's
gonna happen next. I just know that
I have so much more to give to this sport.
I feel like the sky
could be the limit for me.
I'm just excited
for what's next.
Kinda just keep building on this success.
And I want more of it.
It doesn't stop here.
What's the capital
of Georgia?
- The country of Georgia?
- Yeah.
- Do you know that?
- Yes.
- What is it?
- Tbilisi.
How do you know that?
I'll just go for the top.
I know it's gonna be tough.
I'm not even sure if I can achieve it next
season, but I'm gonna go all in for it.
Who knows? I'll just put a massive
question mark on 2023. Hold tight.
- Damn, Nick!
- Relax, bro. We're warming up.
I will use this experience of
this year to continue and make history.
Novak's absolutely
still the one to beat.
This whole group is improving and getting
better. We're only getting started.
Today is Championship day.
I had this belief that this is
going to be the perfect end of the season.
Caroline Garcia.
Champion of the 2022 WTA Finals.
I was so disappointed.
But I really feel that mentally
I'm stronger than I was before.
Next season, it's my year, guys.