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Is Netflix the new destination for tennis?

Is Netflix the new destination for tennis?

Florida tennis fans have been loving Netflix since the streaming giant premiered their Break Point series (Season 2) earlier this year. Tennis stars with homes in Florida (Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka, and Ben Shelton) were all over the exciting series which gave fans an inside look into their lives. And it keeps getting better — this week the Netflix Slam hit the airwaves. 

Sure, the Netflix Slam featured Spanish players — Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz — but three of the announcers have roots in Florida. Jim Courier is a Dade City native, Mary Joe Fernández lives in Miami, and Andy Roddick has lived in Boca Raton. And looking back, Vero Beach native, Mardy Fish, was also profiled in Breaking Point as part of the Netflix Untold series of sports documentaries.

Above: Rafael Nadal smiling for the fans at the Netflix Slam. Source: Netflix

In any event, the tennis world is abuzz with excitement regarding all the recent tennis programming from Netflix. And the Netflix Slam, which premiered on Sunday, was truly epic. World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz was crowned champion in this tennis battle royale against 22-time Grand Slam men's singles title champion Rafael Nadal.

So what happened in the match? Nadal won the opening set of the exhibition 6-3, while Alcaraz won the second set 6-4. There were some incredible points throughout the first two sets including this gem (see below) — check out Rafael Nadal's no-look sky-hook overhead. Wow!!!

Above: Rafael Nadal hits an incredible, near-impossible shot that immediately went viral all across social media. Source: Netflix.

The last set of the Netflix Slam was actually a 10-point tie break, during which Nadal first tied the score at 9-9. However, determining a winner wasn't easy. Both Nadal and Alcaraz played some of their best tennis, bringing the score to a nail-biting 13-12. In the end, Alcaraz won 14-12, making him the winner of The Netflix Slam.

Meanwhile, Netflix put on a star-studded show. Along with the tennis greats from Florida (Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, and Mary Joe Fernández), New Yorker Patrick McEnroe provided commentary for the Slam. Tennis analyst Prakash Amritraj and host Kay Adams were also joined by Las Vegas tennis legend, Andre Agassi, who also made an appearance in the booth.

Above: Rafael Nadal having fun at the Netflix Slam. Source: Netflix.

For Spanish markets, Rafael Plaza hosted, with commentary from tennis favorites Feliciano López, Nicolas Pereira, and David Ferrer, and sideline reporting from sports journalist Isabel Forner.

Netflix's first-ever special exhibition tennis match was produced by Full Day Productions, the company behind The Netflix Cup, ESPY Awards, the Oscars Red Carpet Show, and the NFL Honors. The event was hosted by MGM Resorts International and took place inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Vamos Netflix! The tennis world is waiting for more special tennis programming from you. We're loving it.

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Written by Florida Tennis Editor and Publisher Matt Pressman. Source: Netflix.

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