Dan Evans hits out at new Netflix tennis documentary by slamming the ‘predictable’ cast

Dan Evans has hit out at new Netflix tennis documentary Break Point by criticising its cast for ‘acting’ and stating ‘It’s not for me’. 

The new Drive To Survive-style series is set to hit the streaming network on January 13, but instead of focusing on the game’s leading lights like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the documentary follows the games younger stars and features Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz and Paula Badosa. 

However, Evans slammed the series by calling it ‘predictable’ and claimed it would show characters that fans wouldn’t be interested in watching, like ‘tennis Dad’. A reference to Tsitsipas’ father Apostolos, who coaches him. 

‘You could have hand-picked who they were going to choose,’ the world No 27 told The Times ahead of this week’s Battle of the Brits tournament. 

‘It is so predictable. ‘You want to hear what Rafa has got to say when he had to pull out of Wimbledon. We’ll have to listen to Tsitsipas and a tennis dad. There’s always going to be a tennis dad in there, isn’t there?’

The series follows the players from last year’s Australian Open to the French Open, but it won’t be watched by the British number two, as he believes it’s all scripted. 

‘It’s not for me. It’s all acted, you can see it. Come on.’ 

The first teaser trailer of the series was released last week and as well as Tsitsipas, Fritz and Badosa, the documentary also features Felix Auger-Aliassime, Matteo Berrettini, Ons Jabeur, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Nick Kyrgios, Casper Ruud, Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Sloane Stephens, Iga Swiatek, Frances Tiafoe and Ajla Tomljanovic. 

The sport are hoping the show as the same success as Drive to Survive, which centred around F1. According to a report published by Nielsen Sports in March last year, 77% of F1’s annual growth was driven by those aged 16-35, something that has been linked to the popularity of Drive to Survive. 

The 32-year-old believes that there should be more forthright views in tennis and earlier this year spoke out at Leon Smith after his Davis Cup call to omit him from a doubles match in favour of Joe Salisbury. 

Evans is now set to team-up with Salisbury in Aberdeen this week to take on a Scotland side led by Andy and Jamie Muarry, but he insists there’s no hard feelings. 

Adding: “It’s not personal,” Evans said. “If somebody told me to go on the court I wouldn’t say no. It’s not his [Salisbury’s] decision to not put himself on the court. He’s told to go on the court and it would be weird if he thought he’s not the best person to do the job. He’s a competitor. That’s what he should do, to compete.’