No one will ever shape the game of tennis as profoundly as Romanian tennis player Ilie Nǎstase, a new documentary about the tennis maestro’s life — Nasty – More Than Just Tennis — seems to claim. But embedded in its subtitle is a certain irony. While the tennis great wanted to be seen as “more than just tennis”, he also could be seen as tennis, given how much his playing style and personality affected the game we know today, a feat that no other will be able to claim after professional tennis rulebooks were made much more robust. Directed by Tudor Giurgiu (the helmer of Freedom [+lee también:
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The filmmakers put forth a very loosely chronological look at Nǎstase’s tennis career, where he became widely known on the international stage after his US Open men’s singles win in 1972. He then became the first person to be labelled as the number-one tennis player on the computerised ATP (Associations of Tennis Professionals) rankings. Despite being an immensely talented player, he is best known for his polarising personality, and he was suitably nicknamed “Nasty” by his contemporaries.

Nǎstase rose to fame during what could be seen as tennis’s coming-of-age era, where player etiquette and conduct were not yet in the official rulebook and the role of the tennis umpire had not yet been professionalised. With Nǎstase, tennis was no longer a stuck-up sport for wealthy spectators, but a form of entertainment ready for fans to cheer, hiss, and boo at. His on-court behaviour was both infuriating and legendary, leaving audiences roaring and opponents speechless, notably captured by a famous walkout from tennis legend Arthur Ashe. Many of the incidents involving Nǎstase eventually led to the creation of formal rules as well as respected informalities.

The film boasts impressive access to tennis greats including Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Billie Jean King, Rafael Nadal and Stan Smith. From interviews, the film puts forward the suggestion that, despite his temper, his warm off-court personality was palpable, and he easily won over opponents whom he otherwise bashed while playing. Nǎstase’s tennis doubles partner-turned-businessman Ion Țiriac gives the most personal accounts of their time together, revealing just how he became the pride of the Romanian people. By the filmmakers’ reasoning, he put Romania on the map as global spectators overcame their Cold War biases to root for such a fascinating character.

Although conventional in its style, the film more than does the trick. The directorial trio crafts a tightly spun, tension-filled documentary that is just as much fun as a match against Nǎstase. Tennis clips from the player’s most gripping moments act as their own source of conflict-building, where Nǎstase’s antics can be seen in action: talking back to the umpires, arguing with the line judges, taunting opponents, shouting obscenities, and flipping off practically everybody, to the delight of the spectators. The electronic-inspired score by Marius Leftǎrache also coincidentally fits comfortably with the techno-industrial music of Challengers [+lee también:
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Nasty – More Than Just Tennis is a Romanian production by Libra Films, co-produced by HBO Max and Televiziunea Română (TVR). International sales are handled by Goodfellas.