From Court to Screen? Nicolas Jarry’s career featured in new docuseries

Nicolas Jarry will be the protagonist of a docuseries about his career. The Chilean tennis player has become a sports icon in his country, and the documentary covering his journey from his early days in tennis to the present has secured a spot in the Santiago International Film Festival.

In ‘Versus,’ a series of testimonies from Jarry himself and his close circle are compiled. The 2024 Rome Open runner-up actively participated in the story alongside his family, which addresses his 2020 doping suspension and his relationship with his grandfather, former world No. 14 Jaime Fillol.

According to ‘Clay Tenis,’ the first of four episodes will be screened this week at the Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC). Jarry agreed to the project several years ago, after suffering a doping suspension in 2020.

The Chilean had recently broken into the top 40 when the ITF announced an 11-month ban for using prohibited substances during a Davis Cup doping control. Jarry lost his ranking and took responsibility for involuntary ingestion after presenting the relevant evidence to the ITF.

Jarry comes from a family deeply connected to tennis; he is the grandson of two-time Grand Slam doubles finalist Jaime Fillol. Nico's grandfather was the leading figure in Chilean tennis during the 70s, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 14. Additionally, Jarry's family leads the organization of the ATP 250 Santiago. "I sat down with my grandfather and tearfully told him that I wanted him to be my grandpa, but I didn't want him to talk to me about tennis anymore," Jarry reveals in the series.

"I was very tired of hearing the same from my grandfather, my dad, and Martín (Rodríguez, then his coach). My grandfather knew an infinite amount, and every day I realize that more. But I didn't understand it, and I couldn't keep having two different voices in my head. It wasn't doing me any good," Jarry added. "Everything was about tennis, everything was for tennis... and I was drifting away from everyone," Jarry concluded.