“Netflix curse” is real as Break Point stars crash out of Australian Open

It didn’t take long for the “Netflix curse” to hit Melbourne Park.

Less than week after Netflix’s new tennis documentary, “Break Point,” was released, the stars of the show are dropping like flies out of the Australian Open. Ten players are featured prominently in the first five episodes that are currently airing; eight exited prior to the third round.

The list of victims:

1. Nick Kyrgios – Withdrew prior to the tournament due to a knee injury.

2. Paula Badosa – Withdrew prior to the tournament due to a thigh injury.

3. Ajla Tomljanovic – Withdrew prior to the tournament due to a knee injury.

4. Matteo Berrettini – Lost to Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(10-6) in the first round.

5. Casper Ruud – Lost to Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2 in the second round.

6. Taylor Fritz – Lost to Alexei Popyrin 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-2 in the second round.

7. Ons Jabeur – Lost to Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 5-7, 7-1 in the second round.

8. Thanasi Kokkinakis – Lost to Andy Murray 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5 in the second round.

Still alive:

9. Felix Auger-Aliassime – Had to play fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil in the first round and prevailed 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-3; came back from two sets down to overcome Alex Molcan 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

10. Maria Sakkari – Beat Yue Yuan 6-1, 6-4; came back from a set down to defeat Diana Shnaider 3-6, 7-5, 7-3.

“Actually I didn’t know that was a thing,” Fritz said prior to his loss to Popyrin. “Obviously I noticed the people pulling out of the tournament, but I didn’t know it was a thing, like, ‘I’m going to lose [in the] first round because I’m in the Netflix show? I didn’t think of that.’”

As Fritz quickly found out the hard way, yes, the Netflix curse is a thing.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.