MELBOURNE, Australia | Eight of the 10 players starring in the first five episodes of the new Netflix-produced documentary series Break Ball, which began airing last week, have already left the Australian Open.
• Also read: Australian Open: “FAA” regains its level and moves into the round of 16
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Nick Kyrgios, Paula Badosa and Ajla Tomljanovic had to retire injured before the start of the tournament.
Then Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini, Ons Jabeur, Taylor Fritz and Thanasi Kokkinakis packed in the first or second round. With the exception of the Kokkinakis, these were players who could all dream of staying in Melbourne.
So only two remain: Maria Sakkari, who will be on duty Friday morning Eastern time. And… Félix Auger-Aliassime, one of the central characters of the fifth episode, qualified for the round of 16 last night.
His girlfriend told him about it
On social media, tennis fans in recent days have coined the phrase “Netflix curse” to laugh at what appears to be more of a fluke than an actual fatality.
The Quebecer, he only found out shortly before his third round, won in four sets against Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo.
” My friend [Nina Ghaibi] showed me that. I did not know it. What I knew was that some players are losing but it hadn’t crossed my mind until she told me,” Auger-Aliassime commented on Friday.
“I think it’s funny, but I don’t think it’s related,” he said. Maybe losing players think that, but at the same time I don’t think so either! »
Of course Félix has bigger ambitions than that, but if he doesn’t win the title in Australia he might still be able to claim to have been one of the last survivors of the ‘Netflix curse’…