Break Point (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Take the Crown - full transcript
Novak Djokovic's ban from the Australian Open leaves an opportunity for a newcomer to rise to the top. Can Italy's Matteo Berrettini step up?
Nole! Nole! Nole!
- Nole! Nole!
- Free Novak!
We want to see him play tennis!
Nole! Nole! Nole!
Novak Djokovic's supporters...
They've been protesting for days now,
calling on the government
to allow Novak Djokovic
to take part in the Australian Open
and defend his title.
This is a world-famous athlete
that was public
about not wanting to get the vaccine.
But his legal team want to fight that
decision to cancel Novak Djokovic's visa.
This injustice must be overturned!
SERBIA
Nole! Nole!
Novak Djokovic remains in this detention
facility that you can see behind me.
Federal politicians
are still weighing in in this debate,
but undoubtedly the world's eyes
are on this court case.
We don't know what the government
is gonna do next, but we'll see.
Is there still a chance?
This is live.
This morning, they're making a decision.
- Today?
- Yeah.
Nole! Nole! Nole!
Breaking news in the last few minutes,
huge developments down here in Melbourne.
The world number one's visa
has been canceled.
Novak Djokovic's Australian visa
has now been canceled.
Novak Djokovic
has left Australia.
...sent home
after refusing to be vaccinated.
He will now miss his chance
to win a tenth Australian Open title.
I'm sorry. Just one second.
He's out.
Oh, my God, this is fucking bonkers.
They canceled his visa.
Well, I mean, there's one less person
to worry about.
The last few days
have seen some outrageous tennis.
Game, set, match.
Sakkari finishes with a flourish.
Whoo!
Yes!
Game, set,
and match for Félix Auger-Aliassime.
And American Taylor Fritz
books himself a spot in the next round.
Match point, Frances Tiafoe.
Local boy Nick Kyrgios
crashed out to Medvedev
in the second round.
But a lot of these next generation
guys look like they mean business.
Yeah!
I'm fucking hyped up, man.
For the first time in ages,
the greatest players of all time,
who have dominated
this tournament for decades,
are no longer standing in their way.
- Good luck.
- Clear the way please.
This year in Australia
it's a massive opportunity.
Serena Williams isn't in the draw.
Roger Federer can't play due to injury.
Rafael Nadal hasn't played tennis
in five or six months,
so a lot of question marks
surrounding him.
Challenging time for me,
the last year and a half, with my foot.
I've been suffering a lot.
And with Novak Djokovic not in the draw,
it's a great opportunity
for some younger players
to bag a slam for the first time.
This new guard,
to wake up and to know that
you have the chance to win a Grand Slam.
That's a lot. But it's pretty exciting.
The draw is wide open.
But to me the strongest contender
is the Italian, Matteo Berrettini.
Let's face it.
He's due to win a Slam, right?
I've come so close to being a champion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
will you please take your seats
for the Wimbledon
gentlemen's singles final.
Novak Djokovic versus Matteo Berrettini.
So far, it was
the biggest moment of my career.
It's in.
First set goes to Berrettini.
If it wasn't for Novak,
maybe I would have had a slam already.
A sixth Wimbledon title
for the Serbian superstar.
That loss was really hard,
but it taught me so much.
Now, it's my time.
From Italy,
the seventh seed, Matteo Berrettini.
Well, this man
is the most tenacious of competitors.
Huge serving from Berrettini.
"The hammer," as he's called.
Magical stuff there from Berrettini.
This guy has got so much game.
Matteo feels his time is now.
There are very few players on this planet
that want to see him
near them in the draw.
Last year, the only players to beat him
were Novak and Rafa,
which I think says a lot.
I have pretty good weapons.
Like my serve, my forehand are dangerous.
Once he gets
hold of you with that forehand,
once he's got his teeth into you,
and has the pattern that he wants,
it's really hard to get out of jail.
I try to make them run.
And I run as little as possible.
But the best part, I think, is my mindset.
When there are tough moments,
I'm a great fighter.
Game, set and match for Berrettini.
Matteo Berrettini
is a player that's on the up and up.
And he has a sense of history
and a sense of what his legacy can be.
This sport, man.
Crazy.
It's something,
something weird for me.
Thanks, man.
Because I remember my first big Slam.
They were like,
"Who the hell is this guy?"
Shall I cut up some more?
It's really good Parmesan, isn't it?
It has, like, a kilo of Parmesan.
Tastes like home, huh?
I'm so sorry
you aren't living here in Rome.
- Have you been playing recently, Grandpa?
- Last week he played every day.
That was an excuse to see my girlfriend.
Tennis is in my DNA
because my whole family plays.
But I wasn't supposed to become
this, like, top-ten tennis player.
I wasn't that good.
I didn't have a lot of strength.
I was just tall and skinny.
Like a giraffe or something.
My parents were scared that
I couldn't make a living with tennis,
and obviously we're not, like, rich.
They were like,
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
I remember telling them,
"Yeah, I want to do this."
What they told me is,
"The only thing we want is that
you put 100% in what you're doing."
So it means that when I step in the court,
I push myself to the limit every time.
What do you think about the coming season?
- Kick ass.
- Kick ass.
I feel like now is the time
when I can get the big result.
True.
It's getting up
to 35 degrees here in Melbourne.
The women's side of the draw
is starting to hot up.
If you're a top-ten player,
you're playing for titles.
That's, you know, kind of the goal.
But when you are a lower rank player,
especially if you're in the top 50 or so,
getting that first-round win is huge.
You're talking about $100,000
first-round prize money.
That could just make your entire season.
Are we hitting
or am I gonna hit with somebody?
At the moment, with me. It's up to you.
When I was seven, I already
had this dream of winning a slam.
You dream the biggest when you're a kid.
But maybe someone listens to this
and they're like,
"Okay, you're coming into the slam
ranked 40,
why are you expecting so much?"
But I know what I'm capable of
and I know how much work I've put in.
As soon as I picked up a racket,
I really fell in love with this sport.
I had to, like, drag my parents
to give me lessons.
I have a sister that's two years older.
So I kind of had to fight for
the spotlight a little bit in the family.
And I had to convince my parents that,
"I really want to do
this tennis thing for real."
I remember meeting Ajla
when she was 12 years old.
And I saw a player that had potential.
I grew very close to her
and became like her mentor.
There are more than,
like, 10,000 women pros,
and to get to the top 50,
it's a big achievement.
But she could be top ten.
I always thought the thing missing
from her was her toughness.
I said, "You're too nice."
You know, you've got to be
a little bitchy out there sometimes.
You've got to be mean.
Nice one!
She's a really good player.
Really, like, focused to get better.
You are hitting really good.
Everything started in 2019.
May I...?
Mm.
I texted her on Instagram.
In all honesty,
it wasn't like love at first sight.
I like the fact that, um, she was...
I think she is shy like me.
It was something that, over time, grew.
Do you want to watch a movie
instead of tennis tonight or...?
If we actually finish it...
You're the one
who's always falling asleep.
Why don't we finish the movie, um,
that we started watching
at Christmas, The Holiday?
You watched it ten...
Okay, but I love that movie.
It gets me in such a good mood.
I thought you were into horror or comedy.
- This is a comedy. Romantic comedy.
- Yeah, this is more romantic than comedy.
But whatever it was, I thought that...
We obviously understand each other.
And especially in a sport
that is so tough,
when you don't have your family,
your friends around you.
I think it's so important.
He has a family?
Just wait.
I think we both enjoy
being there for each other.
But that doesn't mean
there aren't challenges.
You just... It's just really good
when we're both winning.
Let's put it that way.
Ajla Tomljanović up against Paula Badosa.
For Ajla, it's a terrible opening draw.
Paula is one of the players
to watch in the Australian Open.
The top-ten player.
Fresh off of a title.
A feared competitor.
It's a drug. This sport is a drug.
Winning big titles, winning big matches.
It's very, very addictive.
But she's a tough player.
She's a fighter and in the Grand Slam,
you're always a little bit more nervous.
Now, it's not gonna be easy. You're
gonna have to fight for every point.
The ball is going to come back.
You're going to have to keep believing.
Let's go!
She's the favorite and I am the underdog.
But I like being in that position.
Here we go, best of three sets.
Ajla has always been a player
who is very hard on herself.
And so that's been one
of the biggest challenges for Ajla.
Paula Badosa to serve.
But if she can believe
in herself in big moments...
Ready. Play.
...she can beat Paula.
Fifteen-love.
From the start of the match,
I knew against her I had to be aggressive.
It's big hitting from both players.
Game, Tomljanović.
Great start
for Australia's Ajla Tomljanović.
Badosa is finding her way
back into this match.
It's okay. Move it!
Let's go! Come on, Ajla, let's go.
Game. Badosa.
Badosa leads four games to one.
I'm down and I know that,
if I don't respond here, I am in trouble.
It's okay. Stay positive.
Great, great, great.
That's good. That's good.
- Game Tomljanović.
- Excellent.
I started to believe in myself.
- Come on!
- Keep the pressure up.
She's fighting for every ball.
In my head I was like, "Oh my God,
fuck, Paula, you're going to lose."
The mental side of the game is
what really makes a difference at the top.
Game and first set, Badosa.
Six games to four.
I start thinking, like,
"Am I capable of doing this?"
Time.
- Ajla, come on.
- Keep the pressure on.
Second set.
That's where everything
started kinda going downhill.
No. No. No.
She starts changing. She's losing it.
My thoughts just kind of start spiraling.
All the negativity
coming at me all at once.
Come on. You're good, you're good.
Stay positive.
That little voice in your head
doesn't stop.
Game, Badosa.
Badosa leads three games to love.
Badosa leads four games to love.
I blink, and it's five-love.
Game, Badosa.
Everything stopped being fun.
Paula Badosa with match point.
Game, set and match, Badosa.
Two sets to love. Six four, six love.
You've got to feel for Tomljanović.
She just hasn't been able
to convert tonight.
I'm just so angry. I'm so angry.
I wanted to break all my rackets
out there. All of them.
I feel you.
I mean, it's not fun.
When you're playing like that
and having that problem...
When you're playing
such great tennis, yeah.
Feels like heavyweight
against lightweight.
What's the point of being out there
if I don't believe I can win?
There are certain things you can control
and things you can't.
Maybe this is in my control,
I'm just controlling it horribly.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
I don't know.
Like, it's easy. I just retire.
I feel like, "Well, am I fucking crazy?"
- No. You have something there.
- It's screwing up my mind.
You have something there.
Are you all right?
You left the court
with tears in your eyes.
When you lose a match that
you could've won or something like that,
does it help you
when you kind of say, "Okay."
"I'm going to try this different.
I'm not going to have regrets."
No, you do that better than me.
I don't do that as well.
You sound like
you know exactly what you're doing.
Of course I had doubts and stuff.
Like I had fears and...
"What if it's not going to work?"
But I knew all the experiences
they are doing, in the end,
eventually they're going to be helpful
in the moments
when you're gonna win.
No.
It's another gorgeous day
here in Melbourne.
And the players are all getting out
on the practice court,
keeping sharp for the next round.
Sometimes, I can't do anything about it.
Sometimes, you're less comfortable
with that.
You're lacking something there.
On the normal ones,
you're timing it really well.
When we first met,
he was just a little kid.
He had a strong personality,
tenacious, a real will to win,
and he was curious, so he listened.
Does he still listen to you?
I hope so!
I don't know if he still listens to me.
It's a good question.
The action continues to
heat up as the third round gets underway.
The challengers continue
their progress towards the finals...
Rafael Nadal
also managed to battle his way
through four sets to reach the next round.
You had problems with your foot injury.
It put you out last year.
Is your foot giving you
more freedom to play?
Well, for the moment, yes.
But there's one draw
that everyone's talking about.
World number seven, Matteo Berrettini,
faces young gun Carlos Alcaraz.
Playing Carlos in the third round
in a slam is going to be really tough.
Carlos Alcaraz is lightning in a bottle.
A teenager that we haven't seen
the likes of since a young Rafa Nadal.
Just awesome physical talent
and understands what it takes
to manage moments of huge pressure.
He's one of the rising stars on the tour
and it's impressive.
Mentally, how are you feeling?
I know it's not going to be easy.
I know that I want to win, but also,
like, in a way, I feel like,
there is also that kind of pressure,
you know?
Now, I'm a little bit older,
there are so many players coming up
that are so young.
The generation behind
is not going to wait for us.
And so the fighting spirit
has to be there, 100%.
It's my time.
These are the years
that I have to push through.
It's now or never.
Would you please
welcome, from Spain, Carlos Alcaraz!
Carlos Alcaraz, the new kid on the block.
We call him the "young Rafa."
And his opponent,
our seventh seed, from Italy,
Matteo Berrettini!
I feel nervous.
But I try to be nervous.
It's a good thing.
First sets.
Huge serving from the Italian.
No sign of any nerves early on.
Berrettini leads five games to two.
Come on!
The first set is indeed
Matteo Berrettini's.
I'm playing good.
I'm feeling confident.
Perfect start to the second set.
Matteo Berrettini
with a real stranglehold in this match.
Second set, Berrettini.
Berrettini now moves ahead
into a really commanding position.
I felt really, really close
to win the match.
I missed one forehand.
Well, Alcaraz breaks Berrettini there.
Tennis is like this.
In two seconds, everything can change.
The momentum switched.
Carlos Alcaraz has nicked
this third set off Matteo Berrettini.
He finds, like, the right energy.
The right mindset.
And the crowd is all for him.
Game, Alcaraz.
Your brain fucks with you.
Berrettini is unraveling here.
You just want to get out of the situation.
Carlos Alcaraz
has turned this match on its head.
It's fifth set time on Rod Laver Arena.
I feel like a lot of fear.
I'm not going to be able
to win this match.
But, as always, it's the balance
between the fear and the will.
If there is no fear,
there is no will.
What a hit from Berrettini.
That'll get him going again.
I'm not going to give him anything.
In those moments, you really realize
how strong you are inside.
Oh, no!
Let's just hope
that Berrettini is okay here.
When I think about how hard I worked...
it's just impossible to...
to give up.
Matteo!
Six games all.
Final set. Tie break.
And we're into
a super tie break to decide this match.
It's just first to ten points.
Fasten your seat belts,
ladies and gentlemen.
The fear of losing
brings me to my best level.
These two men continue to lock horns.
Three hours and 55
minutes in. Almost at the four-hour mark.
A big miss from Alcaraz.
Match point.
Game, set and match, Berrettini.
Three sets to two. Six-two,
seven-six, four-six, two-six, seven-six.
Come on.
Good match, dude.
I am really proud.
I proved to myself that
I think my biggest weapon
is not my serve, is not my forehand,
but it's my mindset.
That was horrible.
That was horrible.
Fuck! Now it's time to suffer.
Yeah, I'd like you to go lower.
- My love.
- Hello.
My love! Amazing!
Fantastic, you're a hero!
You're on Netflix, Grandma.
Amazing!
Thank you!
Mamma mia, how wonderful!
Darling, you were great!
Let me show you Grandpa.
We did it!
We beat his ass!
Thank you, bye!
- I love you!
- You too. Bye!
Kisses to Ajla.
Yes, bye.
How handsome you are!
I'm tired.
The room is a mess.
- Who was the last one that left the room?
- Was it me?
- No, me?
- No, but just leave it. It's okay.
- What's your schedule tomorrow?
- Um...
I think I'm hitting in the afternoon.
And then we'll see.
I'm going to wake up at 7:45.
- Where do you have to go?
- I have to do, um,
Tennis Channel at 8:15 live,
so I'm going to be in that room.
But I'm not going to be able to be silent.
No, Ajla, okay.
But this is not... I have to sleep.
- What are you talking about?
- 8:15, though.
- Okay, but...
- Where should I go?
Somewhere else?
You go downstairs and ask for a room.
They're not going to give me a room
for ten minutes.
That's exactly why they're going to give
you a room, because it's ten minutes.
Okay, I'm going to do what you said.
I'm going to find the business center.
Go downstairs.
And I'm going to say,
on air, that you kicked me out.
But they're gonna agree with me.
I'm still in the Australian Open.
Who cares about ten minutes?
It's like... Okay, fine. Fine.
It's like ten minutes of talking.
You wouldn't even hear me out there.
Yeah.
Tennis players
are notoriously self-centered.
But they have to be to do well
in this individual sport.
It has to be about you
and putting you first
in order for them to win these big titles.
One of my biggest cliches that I love to
death and I've used a thousand times, is...
"You always question
all-time greats at your own peril."
Nadal arrived in Melbourne
back from a career-threatening foot injury
that sidelined him in 2021.
He didn't know
if he would even be able to compete here.
But you never write off Rafael Nadal.
This is men's singles
quarterfinals on Rod Laver Arena.
The way Nadal deals with things is insane.
He's like a god, like
the craziest fucking thing I've ever seen.
This guy never gives up.
Literally comes back
from being down all the time.
Oh, my goodness.
Rafa doing Rafa things.
For me, Rafa Nadal is the greatest
competitor that's ever played any sport.
Monumental triumph!
He is an all-time great for a reason.
Nadal moves through to the final four,
where he will face
the Italian challenger, Matteo Berrettini.
Matteo is one of the best players
in the world.
Yeah, no. I need to play my 100%.
Playing semifinals against Rafa,
still now, it doesn't seem...
it doesn't feel real.
I'm doing it and I deserve to do it.
You know, my level is there.
But there is still like
that child part that is saying, "Wow."
You know, like I still get, um...
It feels really nice when Rafa is passing
by and saying, "Congrats on your match,"
because I was looking at him
and watching him when I was a kid.
So now being in the same draw
all of this stuff, like,
it feels really nice, special.
Don't you think it's funny how,
two years ago,
I left the US Open in the same moment?
Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same.
You left the night before my match.
Like exactly the same.
- Good luck tomorrow, mate.
- Thank you.
So what's the schedule now that you have?
I can actually technically
play Charleston.
Then I'm skipping the first week of
playing Europe and then I'll go to Madrid.
Okay.
If you're not winning the event,
you're a loser every week.
That's why I think
tennis is really brutal in a way,
because it keeps going
with or without you.
So that part is definitely tough.
I don't think I can close this one.
Do you need help?
You did it.
Okay, one down.
Forty-three to go.
In tennis, you lose
so much more than you win.
But even when you're a champion,
and you come off the court losing,
you ask yourself, "Am I good enough?"
But you have to keep facing it,
otherwise you're not a tennis player.
That's the whole point of this sport,
is that you are always searching,
always trying to find out, you know,
who you are and where you'll go.
My flight's at eleven.
When are you two seeing each other again?
Indian Wells.
Okay.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Bye.
As you progress through,
by the end
it's a strange feeling because...
practice courts are empty.
But the media is at a fever pitch.
So it has a sense of gravity.
You know, you can kind of feel the weight
of the actual moment.
It's like, "Okay, it's go time."
Are we ready to do this?
When I was a kid, my idol was Roger.
But then growing up,
that's when I started to appreciate Rafa.
Like, his mental toughness
is unbelievable.
I've never won against him.
But at the same time,
this world really pushes you to the limit.
I was really close last year
to win a slam.
And I want to feel that feeling again.
So, I know it's tough.
I respect the task,
but I believe I can do it.
After 11 days of competition,
we have arrived
at the men's semifinals matches.
A spot in Sunday's final is up for grabs.
Playing Rafa in a slam
is one of the biggest challenges
you can ever face.
When you're playing against
the greats, it really humbles you.
You respected their abilities,
you knew what they accomplished.
But with Rafa,
the game plan is very clear,
you're not going to get
into extended rallies.
His physicality and what he does so well
is so difficult to deal with.
You don't want this thing
going nine and ten rounds.
You've got to get in there and punch him
in the mouth. Like, you can't wait.
Please welcome our seventh
seed from Italy, Matteo Berrettini!
Stepping in the court for
a match like that, it doesn't feel real.
It's too good to be true.
And his opponent today, Rafael Nadal!
But at the same time,
if you think you're playing
against like some sort of god...
they're gonna eat you alive.
Berrettini has to do something different.
Fault.
He's going to try to find
something and it's got to be very quick.
It is quintessentially
what Nadal is all about.
Rock solid from start to finish.
I'm not in the right mindset.
I'm too happy to be there.
Not feeling enough pressure.
This is one-way traffic.
I'm just a little worried
here for Berrettini.
You need to be fresh
and the mind needs to believe.
I'm not sure it's right there
at the moment for the Italian stallion.
Game and set, Nadal.
That was a knockout punch.
Berrettini, nearly down and out.
I start to curse myself.
I was thinking about my parents back home.
He has given Berrettini
no breathing room whatsoever.
I shouldn't feel happy
for what's happening.
I should feel embarrassed.
And suddenly I feel the fear coming.
Okay, now I'm going to show you
what I have inside.
I start to feel the ball better.
When you feel in the right
mindset, it's like the show started.
I'm just in the zone
like nobody's watching.
It's peaceful.
I like really to lead
those moments because,
in a way, I get to know myself
way better when I'm there.
This is who I am.
That is a little bit of Matteo magic.
I feel like a different player.
I feel I have a chance to win.
Wow! First ever set against Nadal.
And we are going the distance.
This is the battle we were looking for.
I feel I have a chance there.
It's now or never.
Being afraid to lose is about your ego.
Of course you don't want to lose.
All-time greats, they're not afraid.
They're just like, "I am doing it."
They're not afraid to lay it on the line.
That's different, and that's special.
Rafa has two match points.
Rafael Nadal
beats Berrettini in four sets.
He's never done.
He manages to push himself
to the limit every time.
What's your greatest fear?
Feeling that I could have done more
and I didn't try, like I didn't, uh...
I didn't give everything that I had.
Like what my parents told me.
- What can you do?
- He played well.
I mean, I hope they're proud of me.
Next time.
Obviously, I'm disappointed
for today's match.
I expected for myself
a little bit more but...
It is what it is. I have to learn.
You cannot be in the court
I think like this
for the first two sets
against a player like Rafa.
I feel like it doesn't matter how much
you try, you're just not good enough.
It's a tough world.
The 2022 Australian Open
Men's singles final
is Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal.
- Well played, mate.
- Thank you.
But somehow there's always
a moment where I feel,
"Okay, I don't want
to feel like this anymore."
I want to get back to the court and get
better. Because I don't want to lose.
I'm going to prove to the people
that love me
that I can do it.
It's the miracle in Melbourne
in one of the most
improbable victories of all time.
Rafa! Rafa! Rafa!
For a long time we've been talking about
when Rafa and Roger and Novak
are going to get old.
When are they gonna actually slip?
And you just can't count greats out,
because they do things that we can't
really fully wrap our minds around.
Twenty-one major titles
from one
of the greatest players of all time.
I want to be number one in the world.
But when you want things so badly,
sometimes you just cannot handle
the pressure.
Who is the best American male right now?
Taylor Fritz.
You're gonna make me look
like a cocky asshole.
It's the biggest match of my life.
If I pulled out, I'd be thinking
about this forever.
Could be career-ending.
It is a day
he will remember for the rest of his life.
- Nole! Nole!
- Free Novak!
We want to see him play tennis!
Nole! Nole! Nole!
Novak Djokovic's supporters...
They've been protesting for days now,
calling on the government
to allow Novak Djokovic
to take part in the Australian Open
and defend his title.
This is a world-famous athlete
that was public
about not wanting to get the vaccine.
But his legal team want to fight that
decision to cancel Novak Djokovic's visa.
This injustice must be overturned!
SERBIA
Nole! Nole!
Novak Djokovic remains in this detention
facility that you can see behind me.
Federal politicians
are still weighing in in this debate,
but undoubtedly the world's eyes
are on this court case.
We don't know what the government
is gonna do next, but we'll see.
Is there still a chance?
This is live.
This morning, they're making a decision.
- Today?
- Yeah.
Nole! Nole! Nole!
Breaking news in the last few minutes,
huge developments down here in Melbourne.
The world number one's visa
has been canceled.
Novak Djokovic's Australian visa
has now been canceled.
Novak Djokovic
has left Australia.
...sent home
after refusing to be vaccinated.
He will now miss his chance
to win a tenth Australian Open title.
I'm sorry. Just one second.
He's out.
Oh, my God, this is fucking bonkers.
They canceled his visa.
Well, I mean, there's one less person
to worry about.
The last few days
have seen some outrageous tennis.
Game, set, match.
Sakkari finishes with a flourish.
Whoo!
Yes!
Game, set,
and match for Félix Auger-Aliassime.
And American Taylor Fritz
books himself a spot in the next round.
Match point, Frances Tiafoe.
Local boy Nick Kyrgios
crashed out to Medvedev
in the second round.
But a lot of these next generation
guys look like they mean business.
Yeah!
I'm fucking hyped up, man.
For the first time in ages,
the greatest players of all time,
who have dominated
this tournament for decades,
are no longer standing in their way.
- Good luck.
- Clear the way please.
This year in Australia
it's a massive opportunity.
Serena Williams isn't in the draw.
Roger Federer can't play due to injury.
Rafael Nadal hasn't played tennis
in five or six months,
so a lot of question marks
surrounding him.
Challenging time for me,
the last year and a half, with my foot.
I've been suffering a lot.
And with Novak Djokovic not in the draw,
it's a great opportunity
for some younger players
to bag a slam for the first time.
This new guard,
to wake up and to know that
you have the chance to win a Grand Slam.
That's a lot. But it's pretty exciting.
The draw is wide open.
But to me the strongest contender
is the Italian, Matteo Berrettini.
Let's face it.
He's due to win a Slam, right?
I've come so close to being a champion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
will you please take your seats
for the Wimbledon
gentlemen's singles final.
Novak Djokovic versus Matteo Berrettini.
So far, it was
the biggest moment of my career.
It's in.
First set goes to Berrettini.
If it wasn't for Novak,
maybe I would have had a slam already.
A sixth Wimbledon title
for the Serbian superstar.
That loss was really hard,
but it taught me so much.
Now, it's my time.
From Italy,
the seventh seed, Matteo Berrettini.
Well, this man
is the most tenacious of competitors.
Huge serving from Berrettini.
"The hammer," as he's called.
Magical stuff there from Berrettini.
This guy has got so much game.
Matteo feels his time is now.
There are very few players on this planet
that want to see him
near them in the draw.
Last year, the only players to beat him
were Novak and Rafa,
which I think says a lot.
I have pretty good weapons.
Like my serve, my forehand are dangerous.
Once he gets
hold of you with that forehand,
once he's got his teeth into you,
and has the pattern that he wants,
it's really hard to get out of jail.
I try to make them run.
And I run as little as possible.
But the best part, I think, is my mindset.
When there are tough moments,
I'm a great fighter.
Game, set and match for Berrettini.
Matteo Berrettini
is a player that's on the up and up.
And he has a sense of history
and a sense of what his legacy can be.
This sport, man.
Crazy.
It's something,
something weird for me.
Thanks, man.
Because I remember my first big Slam.
They were like,
"Who the hell is this guy?"
Shall I cut up some more?
It's really good Parmesan, isn't it?
It has, like, a kilo of Parmesan.
Tastes like home, huh?
I'm so sorry
you aren't living here in Rome.
- Have you been playing recently, Grandpa?
- Last week he played every day.
That was an excuse to see my girlfriend.
Tennis is in my DNA
because my whole family plays.
But I wasn't supposed to become
this, like, top-ten tennis player.
I wasn't that good.
I didn't have a lot of strength.
I was just tall and skinny.
Like a giraffe or something.
My parents were scared that
I couldn't make a living with tennis,
and obviously we're not, like, rich.
They were like,
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
I remember telling them,
"Yeah, I want to do this."
What they told me is,
"The only thing we want is that
you put 100% in what you're doing."
So it means that when I step in the court,
I push myself to the limit every time.
What do you think about the coming season?
- Kick ass.
- Kick ass.
I feel like now is the time
when I can get the big result.
True.
It's getting up
to 35 degrees here in Melbourne.
The women's side of the draw
is starting to hot up.
If you're a top-ten player,
you're playing for titles.
That's, you know, kind of the goal.
But when you are a lower rank player,
especially if you're in the top 50 or so,
getting that first-round win is huge.
You're talking about $100,000
first-round prize money.
That could just make your entire season.
Are we hitting
or am I gonna hit with somebody?
At the moment, with me. It's up to you.
When I was seven, I already
had this dream of winning a slam.
You dream the biggest when you're a kid.
But maybe someone listens to this
and they're like,
"Okay, you're coming into the slam
ranked 40,
why are you expecting so much?"
But I know what I'm capable of
and I know how much work I've put in.
As soon as I picked up a racket,
I really fell in love with this sport.
I had to, like, drag my parents
to give me lessons.
I have a sister that's two years older.
So I kind of had to fight for
the spotlight a little bit in the family.
And I had to convince my parents that,
"I really want to do
this tennis thing for real."
I remember meeting Ajla
when she was 12 years old.
And I saw a player that had potential.
I grew very close to her
and became like her mentor.
There are more than,
like, 10,000 women pros,
and to get to the top 50,
it's a big achievement.
But she could be top ten.
I always thought the thing missing
from her was her toughness.
I said, "You're too nice."
You know, you've got to be
a little bitchy out there sometimes.
You've got to be mean.
Nice one!
She's a really good player.
Really, like, focused to get better.
You are hitting really good.
Everything started in 2019.
May I...?
Mm.
I texted her on Instagram.
In all honesty,
it wasn't like love at first sight.
I like the fact that, um, she was...
I think she is shy like me.
It was something that, over time, grew.
Do you want to watch a movie
instead of tennis tonight or...?
If we actually finish it...
You're the one
who's always falling asleep.
Why don't we finish the movie, um,
that we started watching
at Christmas, The Holiday?
You watched it ten...
Okay, but I love that movie.
It gets me in such a good mood.
I thought you were into horror or comedy.
- This is a comedy. Romantic comedy.
- Yeah, this is more romantic than comedy.
But whatever it was, I thought that...
We obviously understand each other.
And especially in a sport
that is so tough,
when you don't have your family,
your friends around you.
I think it's so important.
He has a family?
Just wait.
I think we both enjoy
being there for each other.
But that doesn't mean
there aren't challenges.
You just... It's just really good
when we're both winning.
Let's put it that way.
Ajla Tomljanović up against Paula Badosa.
For Ajla, it's a terrible opening draw.
Paula is one of the players
to watch in the Australian Open.
The top-ten player.
Fresh off of a title.
A feared competitor.
It's a drug. This sport is a drug.
Winning big titles, winning big matches.
It's very, very addictive.
But she's a tough player.
She's a fighter and in the Grand Slam,
you're always a little bit more nervous.
Now, it's not gonna be easy. You're
gonna have to fight for every point.
The ball is going to come back.
You're going to have to keep believing.
Let's go!
She's the favorite and I am the underdog.
But I like being in that position.
Here we go, best of three sets.
Ajla has always been a player
who is very hard on herself.
And so that's been one
of the biggest challenges for Ajla.
Paula Badosa to serve.
But if she can believe
in herself in big moments...
Ready. Play.
...she can beat Paula.
Fifteen-love.
From the start of the match,
I knew against her I had to be aggressive.
It's big hitting from both players.
Game, Tomljanović.
Great start
for Australia's Ajla Tomljanović.
Badosa is finding her way
back into this match.
It's okay. Move it!
Let's go! Come on, Ajla, let's go.
Game. Badosa.
Badosa leads four games to one.
I'm down and I know that,
if I don't respond here, I am in trouble.
It's okay. Stay positive.
Great, great, great.
That's good. That's good.
- Game Tomljanović.
- Excellent.
I started to believe in myself.
- Come on!
- Keep the pressure up.
She's fighting for every ball.
In my head I was like, "Oh my God,
fuck, Paula, you're going to lose."
The mental side of the game is
what really makes a difference at the top.
Game and first set, Badosa.
Six games to four.
I start thinking, like,
"Am I capable of doing this?"
Time.
- Ajla, come on.
- Keep the pressure on.
Second set.
That's where everything
started kinda going downhill.
No. No. No.
She starts changing. She's losing it.
My thoughts just kind of start spiraling.
All the negativity
coming at me all at once.
Come on. You're good, you're good.
Stay positive.
That little voice in your head
doesn't stop.
Game, Badosa.
Badosa leads three games to love.
Badosa leads four games to love.
I blink, and it's five-love.
Game, Badosa.
Everything stopped being fun.
Paula Badosa with match point.
Game, set and match, Badosa.
Two sets to love. Six four, six love.
You've got to feel for Tomljanović.
She just hasn't been able
to convert tonight.
I'm just so angry. I'm so angry.
I wanted to break all my rackets
out there. All of them.
I feel you.
I mean, it's not fun.
When you're playing like that
and having that problem...
When you're playing
such great tennis, yeah.
Feels like heavyweight
against lightweight.
What's the point of being out there
if I don't believe I can win?
There are certain things you can control
and things you can't.
Maybe this is in my control,
I'm just controlling it horribly.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
I don't know.
Like, it's easy. I just retire.
I feel like, "Well, am I fucking crazy?"
- No. You have something there.
- It's screwing up my mind.
You have something there.
Are you all right?
You left the court
with tears in your eyes.
When you lose a match that
you could've won or something like that,
does it help you
when you kind of say, "Okay."
"I'm going to try this different.
I'm not going to have regrets."
No, you do that better than me.
I don't do that as well.
You sound like
you know exactly what you're doing.
Of course I had doubts and stuff.
Like I had fears and...
"What if it's not going to work?"
But I knew all the experiences
they are doing, in the end,
eventually they're going to be helpful
in the moments
when you're gonna win.
No.
It's another gorgeous day
here in Melbourne.
And the players are all getting out
on the practice court,
keeping sharp for the next round.
Sometimes, I can't do anything about it.
Sometimes, you're less comfortable
with that.
You're lacking something there.
On the normal ones,
you're timing it really well.
When we first met,
he was just a little kid.
He had a strong personality,
tenacious, a real will to win,
and he was curious, so he listened.
Does he still listen to you?
I hope so!
I don't know if he still listens to me.
It's a good question.
The action continues to
heat up as the third round gets underway.
The challengers continue
their progress towards the finals...
Rafael Nadal
also managed to battle his way
through four sets to reach the next round.
You had problems with your foot injury.
It put you out last year.
Is your foot giving you
more freedom to play?
Well, for the moment, yes.
But there's one draw
that everyone's talking about.
World number seven, Matteo Berrettini,
faces young gun Carlos Alcaraz.
Playing Carlos in the third round
in a slam is going to be really tough.
Carlos Alcaraz is lightning in a bottle.
A teenager that we haven't seen
the likes of since a young Rafa Nadal.
Just awesome physical talent
and understands what it takes
to manage moments of huge pressure.
He's one of the rising stars on the tour
and it's impressive.
Mentally, how are you feeling?
I know it's not going to be easy.
I know that I want to win, but also,
like, in a way, I feel like,
there is also that kind of pressure,
you know?
Now, I'm a little bit older,
there are so many players coming up
that are so young.
The generation behind
is not going to wait for us.
And so the fighting spirit
has to be there, 100%.
It's my time.
These are the years
that I have to push through.
It's now or never.
Would you please
welcome, from Spain, Carlos Alcaraz!
Carlos Alcaraz, the new kid on the block.
We call him the "young Rafa."
And his opponent,
our seventh seed, from Italy,
Matteo Berrettini!
I feel nervous.
But I try to be nervous.
It's a good thing.
First sets.
Huge serving from the Italian.
No sign of any nerves early on.
Berrettini leads five games to two.
Come on!
The first set is indeed
Matteo Berrettini's.
I'm playing good.
I'm feeling confident.
Perfect start to the second set.
Matteo Berrettini
with a real stranglehold in this match.
Second set, Berrettini.
Berrettini now moves ahead
into a really commanding position.
I felt really, really close
to win the match.
I missed one forehand.
Well, Alcaraz breaks Berrettini there.
Tennis is like this.
In two seconds, everything can change.
The momentum switched.
Carlos Alcaraz has nicked
this third set off Matteo Berrettini.
He finds, like, the right energy.
The right mindset.
And the crowd is all for him.
Game, Alcaraz.
Your brain fucks with you.
Berrettini is unraveling here.
You just want to get out of the situation.
Carlos Alcaraz
has turned this match on its head.
It's fifth set time on Rod Laver Arena.
I feel like a lot of fear.
I'm not going to be able
to win this match.
But, as always, it's the balance
between the fear and the will.
If there is no fear,
there is no will.
What a hit from Berrettini.
That'll get him going again.
I'm not going to give him anything.
In those moments, you really realize
how strong you are inside.
Oh, no!
Let's just hope
that Berrettini is okay here.
When I think about how hard I worked...
it's just impossible to...
to give up.
Matteo!
Six games all.
Final set. Tie break.
And we're into
a super tie break to decide this match.
It's just first to ten points.
Fasten your seat belts,
ladies and gentlemen.
The fear of losing
brings me to my best level.
These two men continue to lock horns.
Three hours and 55
minutes in. Almost at the four-hour mark.
A big miss from Alcaraz.
Match point.
Game, set and match, Berrettini.
Three sets to two. Six-two,
seven-six, four-six, two-six, seven-six.
Come on.
Good match, dude.
I am really proud.
I proved to myself that
I think my biggest weapon
is not my serve, is not my forehand,
but it's my mindset.
That was horrible.
That was horrible.
Fuck! Now it's time to suffer.
Yeah, I'd like you to go lower.
- My love.
- Hello.
My love! Amazing!
Fantastic, you're a hero!
You're on Netflix, Grandma.
Amazing!
Thank you!
Mamma mia, how wonderful!
Darling, you were great!
Let me show you Grandpa.
We did it!
We beat his ass!
Thank you, bye!
- I love you!
- You too. Bye!
Kisses to Ajla.
Yes, bye.
How handsome you are!
I'm tired.
The room is a mess.
- Who was the last one that left the room?
- Was it me?
- No, me?
- No, but just leave it. It's okay.
- What's your schedule tomorrow?
- Um...
I think I'm hitting in the afternoon.
And then we'll see.
I'm going to wake up at 7:45.
- Where do you have to go?
- I have to do, um,
Tennis Channel at 8:15 live,
so I'm going to be in that room.
But I'm not going to be able to be silent.
No, Ajla, okay.
But this is not... I have to sleep.
- What are you talking about?
- 8:15, though.
- Okay, but...
- Where should I go?
Somewhere else?
You go downstairs and ask for a room.
They're not going to give me a room
for ten minutes.
That's exactly why they're going to give
you a room, because it's ten minutes.
Okay, I'm going to do what you said.
I'm going to find the business center.
Go downstairs.
And I'm going to say,
on air, that you kicked me out.
But they're gonna agree with me.
I'm still in the Australian Open.
Who cares about ten minutes?
It's like... Okay, fine. Fine.
It's like ten minutes of talking.
You wouldn't even hear me out there.
Yeah.
Tennis players
are notoriously self-centered.
But they have to be to do well
in this individual sport.
It has to be about you
and putting you first
in order for them to win these big titles.
One of my biggest cliches that I love to
death and I've used a thousand times, is...
"You always question
all-time greats at your own peril."
Nadal arrived in Melbourne
back from a career-threatening foot injury
that sidelined him in 2021.
He didn't know
if he would even be able to compete here.
But you never write off Rafael Nadal.
This is men's singles
quarterfinals on Rod Laver Arena.
The way Nadal deals with things is insane.
He's like a god, like
the craziest fucking thing I've ever seen.
This guy never gives up.
Literally comes back
from being down all the time.
Oh, my goodness.
Rafa doing Rafa things.
For me, Rafa Nadal is the greatest
competitor that's ever played any sport.
Monumental triumph!
He is an all-time great for a reason.
Nadal moves through to the final four,
where he will face
the Italian challenger, Matteo Berrettini.
Matteo is one of the best players
in the world.
Yeah, no. I need to play my 100%.
Playing semifinals against Rafa,
still now, it doesn't seem...
it doesn't feel real.
I'm doing it and I deserve to do it.
You know, my level is there.
But there is still like
that child part that is saying, "Wow."
You know, like I still get, um...
It feels really nice when Rafa is passing
by and saying, "Congrats on your match,"
because I was looking at him
and watching him when I was a kid.
So now being in the same draw
all of this stuff, like,
it feels really nice, special.
Don't you think it's funny how,
two years ago,
I left the US Open in the same moment?
Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same.
You left the night before my match.
Like exactly the same.
- Good luck tomorrow, mate.
- Thank you.
So what's the schedule now that you have?
I can actually technically
play Charleston.
Then I'm skipping the first week of
playing Europe and then I'll go to Madrid.
Okay.
If you're not winning the event,
you're a loser every week.
That's why I think
tennis is really brutal in a way,
because it keeps going
with or without you.
So that part is definitely tough.
I don't think I can close this one.
Do you need help?
You did it.
Okay, one down.
Forty-three to go.
In tennis, you lose
so much more than you win.
But even when you're a champion,
and you come off the court losing,
you ask yourself, "Am I good enough?"
But you have to keep facing it,
otherwise you're not a tennis player.
That's the whole point of this sport,
is that you are always searching,
always trying to find out, you know,
who you are and where you'll go.
My flight's at eleven.
When are you two seeing each other again?
Indian Wells.
Okay.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Bye.
As you progress through,
by the end
it's a strange feeling because...
practice courts are empty.
But the media is at a fever pitch.
So it has a sense of gravity.
You know, you can kind of feel the weight
of the actual moment.
It's like, "Okay, it's go time."
Are we ready to do this?
When I was a kid, my idol was Roger.
But then growing up,
that's when I started to appreciate Rafa.
Like, his mental toughness
is unbelievable.
I've never won against him.
But at the same time,
this world really pushes you to the limit.
I was really close last year
to win a slam.
And I want to feel that feeling again.
So, I know it's tough.
I respect the task,
but I believe I can do it.
After 11 days of competition,
we have arrived
at the men's semifinals matches.
A spot in Sunday's final is up for grabs.
Playing Rafa in a slam
is one of the biggest challenges
you can ever face.
When you're playing against
the greats, it really humbles you.
You respected their abilities,
you knew what they accomplished.
But with Rafa,
the game plan is very clear,
you're not going to get
into extended rallies.
His physicality and what he does so well
is so difficult to deal with.
You don't want this thing
going nine and ten rounds.
You've got to get in there and punch him
in the mouth. Like, you can't wait.
Please welcome our seventh
seed from Italy, Matteo Berrettini!
Stepping in the court for
a match like that, it doesn't feel real.
It's too good to be true.
And his opponent today, Rafael Nadal!
But at the same time,
if you think you're playing
against like some sort of god...
they're gonna eat you alive.
Berrettini has to do something different.
Fault.
He's going to try to find
something and it's got to be very quick.
It is quintessentially
what Nadal is all about.
Rock solid from start to finish.
I'm not in the right mindset.
I'm too happy to be there.
Not feeling enough pressure.
This is one-way traffic.
I'm just a little worried
here for Berrettini.
You need to be fresh
and the mind needs to believe.
I'm not sure it's right there
at the moment for the Italian stallion.
Game and set, Nadal.
That was a knockout punch.
Berrettini, nearly down and out.
I start to curse myself.
I was thinking about my parents back home.
He has given Berrettini
no breathing room whatsoever.
I shouldn't feel happy
for what's happening.
I should feel embarrassed.
And suddenly I feel the fear coming.
Okay, now I'm going to show you
what I have inside.
I start to feel the ball better.
When you feel in the right
mindset, it's like the show started.
I'm just in the zone
like nobody's watching.
It's peaceful.
I like really to lead
those moments because,
in a way, I get to know myself
way better when I'm there.
This is who I am.
That is a little bit of Matteo magic.
I feel like a different player.
I feel I have a chance to win.
Wow! First ever set against Nadal.
And we are going the distance.
This is the battle we were looking for.
I feel I have a chance there.
It's now or never.
Being afraid to lose is about your ego.
Of course you don't want to lose.
All-time greats, they're not afraid.
They're just like, "I am doing it."
They're not afraid to lay it on the line.
That's different, and that's special.
Rafa has two match points.
Rafael Nadal
beats Berrettini in four sets.
He's never done.
He manages to push himself
to the limit every time.
What's your greatest fear?
Feeling that I could have done more
and I didn't try, like I didn't, uh...
I didn't give everything that I had.
Like what my parents told me.
- What can you do?
- He played well.
I mean, I hope they're proud of me.
Next time.
Obviously, I'm disappointed
for today's match.
I expected for myself
a little bit more but...
It is what it is. I have to learn.
You cannot be in the court
I think like this
for the first two sets
against a player like Rafa.
I feel like it doesn't matter how much
you try, you're just not good enough.
It's a tough world.
The 2022 Australian Open
Men's singles final
is Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal.
- Well played, mate.
- Thank you.
But somehow there's always
a moment where I feel,
"Okay, I don't want
to feel like this anymore."
I want to get back to the court and get
better. Because I don't want to lose.
I'm going to prove to the people
that love me
that I can do it.
It's the miracle in Melbourne
in one of the most
improbable victories of all time.
Rafa! Rafa! Rafa!
For a long time we've been talking about
when Rafa and Roger and Novak
are going to get old.
When are they gonna actually slip?
And you just can't count greats out,
because they do things that we can't
really fully wrap our minds around.
Twenty-one major titles
from one
of the greatest players of all time.
I want to be number one in the world.
But when you want things so badly,
sometimes you just cannot handle
the pressure.
Who is the best American male right now?
Taylor Fritz.
You're gonna make me look
like a cocky asshole.
It's the biggest match of my life.
If I pulled out, I'd be thinking
about this forever.
Could be career-ending.
It is a day
he will remember for the rest of his life.