As first appeared in Boxscore
By Aron Solomon
Next week, the WTA will be thrown into the international media spotlight in a way that could potentially introduce women’s tennis to a broader audience.
As a massive WTA fan and analyst of the game, I’ve been asking myself whether they are ready.
The Netflix documentary Break Point really is a big deal. It follows on the heels of the very successful Drive to Survive, the series about Formula 1 race car drivers. The series focuses on a year in the life of several WTA and ATP players, with the first five episodes to be released on Friday, with the final five scheduled to come out in June.
Netflix has become a much more significant forum than we could have imagined. A streaming service that allows users to watch a variety of TV shows, movies, and documentaries on the internet, Netflix was founded in 1997 as a DVD-by-mail service, but it has since evolved into one of the largest streaming services in the world.
There is no doubt that Netflix has been extremely successful in recent years. As of 2021, the company had over 208 million subscribers in more than 190 countries. This is a significant increase from just a few years ago, when the company had around 93 million subscribers in 2016.
One of the key factors in Netflix’s success has been its focus on original content. In 2013, the company released its first original series, “House of Cards,” which was a huge hit and helped to establish Netflix as a major player in the entertainment industry. Since then, the company has released a number of other successful original series, including “Stranger Things,” “The Crown,” and “Orange is the New Black.” In addition, Netflix has also released a number of critically acclaimed films, such as “Roma” and “The Irishman.”
Another factor in Netflix’s success has been its aggressive expansion into international markets. The company has invested heavily in local content in countries around the world, which has helped it to attract new subscribers in these regions. For example, in India, Netflix has released a number of successful original series, such as “Sacred Games” and “Delhi Crime,” which have helped the company to gain a foothold in this important market.
This international focus is key to the success of a WTA documentary, as the top players can extend their fanbases.
A case in point is Ajla Tomljanovic, a compelling 29-year-old Croatian who plays for Australia and has her home base in the United States. Tomljanoivc, who had one of the best years in her career last year, capped off by defeating Serena Williams to end her U.S. Open comeback and possibly her career, is being held out as one of the stars of the series.
Tomljanovic is whip-smart and has a face that brands love. It’s good for the game to have players such as Ajla Tomljanovic introduced to a broader audience, which is certainly the hope of the WTA.
The series comes at an important time because the gender equity between men’s and women’s tennis isn’t getting any better. As I examined here at Boxscore sports in a piece last May, throughout the year’s schedule, there are many men’s and women’s tournaments of exactly the same level in which the men are still paid a lot more.
As Attorney Adriana Gonzalez commented from Palm Beach County in Florida, where some of the top WTA players live, and train, “Any media boost that can help bring gender parity to the professional tennis world would be very welcome.”
The best-case scenario is that this documentary could act as a fuel boost for the professional game. The WTA needs to act to sign some key new partners. There simply needs to be more money in women’s tennis.
I’m wary of the fact that the documentary focuses on both men and women for two reasons. While I haven’t been given any advance viewing from Netflix, I fear (and very much hope to be proven wrong) that the WTA women will be an afterthought to the ATP men.
The amazing Ons Jabeur (honestly, is there anyone in the world who doesn’t love Ons?) said:
“It’s gonna be great to show how (we’re) outside the court. I know ppl are curious to know what’s going on. I am curious to know sometimes how ppl are doing, be it footballers or tennis players, so I think it’s gonna be great & I think everybody should watch it.”
As someone who follows women’s tennis very closely, I fear that the Netflix series is going to be a letdown for those of us who hope it will be a catalyst. I’ll definitely watch the available episodes over the next few days and more than likely report back.
About Aron Solomon
A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the Chief Legal Analyst for Esquire Digital and the Editor-in-Chief for Today’s Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. Aron has been featured in Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today, ESPN, TechCrunch, The Hill, BuzzFeed, Fortune, Venture Beat, The Independent, Fortune China, Yahoo!, ABA Journal, Law.com, The Boston Globe, YouTube, NewsBreak, and many other leading publications.
A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the Chief Strategy Officer for AMPLIFY. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world. Aron has been featured in Newsweek, The Hill, Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes, CBS News, CNBC, USA Today, ESPN, TechCrunch, BuzzFeed, Venture Beat, The Independent, Fortune China, Abogados, Today’s Esquire, Yahoo!, ABA Journal, Law.com, The Boston Globe, and many other leading publications across the globe.
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