No Challenges Remaining

In an episode that was already released as a video yesterday for our Patreon backers, Ben and Tumaini kick off Season 15(!) of No Challenges Remaining from opposite sides of the globe.

Tumaini talks about the start to the season so far in far-flung Perth, which includes injury issues plaguing Brits at the United Cup. 

We then discuss some of the biggest headlines from recent weeks: the Battle of the Sexes debacle, the Alcaraz-Ferrero split, and the news that Serena Williams has reentered the tennis testing pool.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back...

After coming out last week in video for on the NCR Patreon and Bounces, it's a delight to bring listeners Ben's chat with Mary Carillo on the occasion of her getting voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Ben and Mary discuss Mary's trademark honesty, her committed avoidance of social media, and much more. 

Mary's a longtime NCR favorite, and we are very happy for her and delighted to have her Newport-bound.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we...

In another episode that was already released as a video overnight for our Patreon backers, Ben and Tumaini wrap up what was a very busy Saturday in the world of tennis, including three simultaneous finals.

We start with the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where Elena Rybakina won a very high-quality, high-level tournament that still looked small. How is the WTA going in Saudi Arabia after two years? Should they extend their stay there? Read Tumaini's column on the state of the WTA for more.

We then discuss the down-to-the-wire (down-to-the-netcord?) drama around the race to Tu...

In an annual post-marathon tradition, Ben and Ricky Dimon catch up on the world of men's tennis, both recent news and the overall stories of this 2025 season that is nearing its conclusion. 

We start with the big news from the ATP, who have announced that a new, 10th Masters 1000 event will be added to the calendar win a few years. With complaints about the schedule rampant, what do we make of the addition of a big tournament that no one was really asking for? And what will the ripple effects on the rest of the calendar and the...

In an episode that was released as a video overnight for our Patreon backers,  Ben and Tumaini catch up on the happenings of the tennis tours in China, including 204th-ranked Valentin Vacherot somehow winning ATP 1000 Shanghai, beating his first cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the title. Is it the most shocking title we can recall?

We also discuss Zverev's much-mocked complaints about surfaces being rigged for Sinner and Alcaraz, the stellar seasons US women are having--but which has been best?--the Hall of Fame candidacies of Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova, and an ode to...

Ben sits down with author Giri Nathan for this episode, to go deep into his new book, Changeover, and the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry at its focus. 

This episode was recorded during the U.S. Open, but these two players remain the overwhelmingly obvious story in men's tennis, including this week as Sinner won Beijing while Alcaraz won Tokyo. 

We discuss the process of writing this book--which hopefully is particularly interesting to media folks--and also the ways in which Sinner and Alcaraz's dominance might be taking suspense out of the sport right now.

Slightly condensed ver...

Ben and Tumaini, eventually joined by Giri Nathan, discuss the ending of this 2025 U.S. Open, which concluded with Carlos Alcaraz dominating Jannik Sinner in a four-set victory to complete their third major final of the year. How much better is Alcaraz right now in this match-up? And what did Sinner reveal in his press conference during our intermission.

We also discuss the elephant in the room for this final: the US Open return of Donald Trump, and the disruption his presence caused on site.

We also talk about the women's tournament, which ended with mo...

Ben and Tumaini check back in after the most-hyped match of this U.S. Open so far, in which Naomi Osaka soundly beat Coco Gauff to make it into her first major quarterfinal in more than four years.

We discuss that match as well as the rest of the women's draw, including the Krejcikova-Townsend epic, and then turn to the men, in which Djokovic-Fritz is an intriguing match before what looks like (we think?) a pre-destined Sinner-Alcaraz final.

Plus, Tumaini met JoJo! 

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to en...

It's a whistlestop episode for Ben and Tumaini, who had a train to catch late Friday night at the U.S. Open.

We have a lot to catch up on, including the firestorm created by the Townsend-Ostapenko match and why that hit such a cultural nerve, the bizarre mess of a scene at Iga Swiatek's press conference (which the USTA deleted from the record), Altmaier's avoidance of Tsitsipas' drama, chatter around Carlos Alcaraz's hair, Coco Gauff's struggles, Naomi Osaka sparkling, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper's injuries, the visibility of gambling on site, and a bit more.

...

Scuttling previous plans, Ben and Tumaini are together once more for a bit of an emergency episode on the wild shitshow which Daniil Medvedev delivered on Sunday at the US Open, exacerbating a long delay when down match point to Benjamin Bonzi which dramatically turned the match, only for Bonzi to win in five.

We discuss the surreal scenes, the mistakes made by pretty much every party involved, how single-official matches just aren't working in tennis, and more of the fallout, including Medvedev's press conference (we recorded this episode before Bonzi came in). 

Thank you for...

Reuniting where they first met 15 years ago, Ben is delighted to have Courtney back on NCR once more for this episode, catching up on what's happened for her this year and what she currently has in the works as she rejoined the tour this month.

We discuss the end of Courtney's time at the WTA, what she's been doing in the months since, and how she got started with the new project she's been working on: a revival or reinvention of Forty Deuce.

Related to what used to be and what is, we also talk...

Ben is joined by Ava Wallace of The Washington Post to discuss their hometown tournament in DC, and how this place still manages to charm and shine as a uniquely accessible and diverse place on tour despite the challenges of a rusting stadium.

We discuss the big players this week as well, including the impressive comeback of Venus Williams, local hope Hailey Baptiste, and top American men Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hop...

Ben and Tumaini are joined for their Wimbledon finals show by Giri Nathan, who literally wrote the book on the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry that featured its latest chapter in the Wimbledon final. 

Before discussing Sinner and Alcaraz and their continuing takeover—and Sinner finally getting another win in his column—we start with the women's final, in which Iga Swiatek blanked Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. What do we make of Swiatek's dominance?

Also, which of Swiatek, Alcaraz, and Sinner will complete their Career Slam first?

We also chat about the widely-discussed wildcard misadventure of Bill Ac...

Ben and Tumaini, on the mic once more together, recap the business end of Wimbledon, where one final is already set on the women's side and two blockbuster semifinals are set for the men. 

We start with the women's side, on which Amanda Anisimova is making her first major final after beating Aryna Sabalenka (who had herself a much more composed press conference this time). We then discuss, to Tumaini's delight, how he was right and Ben was wrong about Swiatek's grass possibilities this season. 

We then turn to the men, where Taylor (Harry) Fritz is g...

Ben is joined for the final time during this Wimbledon by Ricky Dimon, to discuss the fourth round matches that were played and how the quarterfinals and beyond are shaping up.

We start with the bleakest moment in recent tennis memory, when Grigor Dimitrov was up two sets to none on an injured Jannik Sinner, only to suffer his own sudden acute pectoral injury and be forced to retire mid-match for the fifth major tournament in a row.

We then discuss Sinner's not-great health outlook as well, and then shift to the rest of the...

Ben is back with Ricky Dimon to discuss a third round at Wimbledon that was much less tumultuous than the previous two rounds, and the second week outlook for the tournament that it set up.

On the women's side, is it Sabalenka or the field? And is the men's side still looking like likely chalk of Sinner-Djokovic and Fritz-Alcaraz semifinals?

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam...

Ben is joined once more by Ricky Dimon to catch up on the further upsets in the second round of Wimbledon after the carnage in the opening round, and to set up third round clashes.

We start with Jack Draper, the local hope who was bundled out by 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic. We then wrap up the rest of the men, including exits for Americans Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul, and look for what could be in store the rest of the way if upsets subside.

We then turn to the women, who lost last year's...

After an unexpectedly tumultuous two days at Wimbledon, Ben is joined by Ricky Dimon to discuss the record number of upsets from the first round of Wimbledon, in which 23 seeds lost their first match, including some big names.

Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and more were all sent packing in various ways, and we discuss the short and long term fallouts. 

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank...

Something different and pretty cool this time:

50 years ago at Wimbledon, the two singles champions were two of the biggest pioneers in tennis history: Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe.

It was also the first of many Wimbledons covered by then-young Canadian tennis journalist Tom Tebbutt, and he made a radio documentary for the CBC of a remarkable breadth of voices from around the tournament, from the stars to the various margins. 

Tom revisited and revamped the documentary this year for the 50th anniversary, and he generously shared it with us here at N...

[Reuploaded to fix what was an incomplete file on some podcast platforms the last time!]

Ben and Tumaini, on the mic one last time from their house in Paris, are fresh off two thrilling finals at Roland Garros.

We start with the just-ended men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which produced some of the best tennis ever seen after a five-hour mark. What made this match so good? And was it too long or just right? 

We then get to the women's final, in which Coco Gauff won with her immense men...

Ben and Tumaini, on the mic one last time from their house in Paris, are fresh off two thrilling finals at Roland Garros.

We start with the just-ended men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which produced some of the best tennis ever seen after a five-hour mark. What made this match so good? And was it too long or just right? 

We then get to the women's final, in which Coco Gauff won with her immense mentality and physicality, and in which Aryna Sabalenka turned into a human salt shaker in defeat.

L...

Ben and Tumaini, together again, are back to wrap up the quarterfinals and look ahead to the semifinals for both the men and women at Roland Garros.

We start with the women, where a too-close-to-call Sabalenka-Swiatek semifinal is set, and super-surprise Lois Boisson might just be playing well enough to keep her strong form going against Coco Gauff?

We then shift to the men, where a Sinner-Alcaraz collision course seems likely, and in which Novak Djokovic defeated another similar effort from Alexander Zverev.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and run...

Ben and Tumaini, fresh off their collaboration on Ben's Victor Barber interview, catch up on everything in the first four rounds of Roland Garros.

We start with the big results of the day--Bublik d. Draper and Boisson d. Pegula--and then discuss the scheduling and the morass of night sessions.

We then check in on the various shortlist contenders--Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff--and end with some chat on Nadal's retirement ceremony and PSG's big celebrations here.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-f...

Ben and Tumaini (whom Redditors agree has "quietly become the best tennis journalist on the planet") are delighted to have "Episode 400," which is actually the 566th episode of NCR with real counting, coincide with an annual favorite episode title.

After a long media day in Paris, we break down the men and then the women. Is anyone there to disrupt a Sinner-Alcaraz final, which would be their first at a Grand Slam event? 

On the men's side, is Aryna Sabalenka ready to hurdle through a tough draw? And can Iga Swiatek get back on track i...

Forestalling NCR's imminent quatercentenary ever so slightly, Ben and Tumaini turn on the microphone together for the first time in their shared Paris abode, just to wrap up some loose ends from Rome before our big French Open draw show later this week.

Tumaini discusses the incredible superstar status of Jannik Sinner, who enraptured the public and put on some dominant performances en route to the final, where he was eventually stopped by Carlos Alcaraz.

We also discuss Jasmine Paolini, as well as her mentor Sara Errani, whom we spoke with today at French Open qua...

Ben is joined by his longtime NYT teammate Christopher Clarey to discuss the release today of his new book, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay, exploring both the prolific 14-time champion at Roland Garros and the dusty red landscape of his triumphs.

Topics include: how Nadal's frenetic, obsessive energy shaped Chris's own writing process, Nadal's language proficiencies (or lack thereof), how the media access landscape has changed over the course of his career reporting on Nadal, Nadal's complex relationships with his top rivals, the specter of doping allegations over Nadal's era, how top athletes l...

Ben and Tumaini (who can also be watched in a video version of this episode on NCR's Patreon) found a moment to meet up between the end of a wild Madrid and Jannik Sinner's big comeback in Rome.

We discuss the post-apocalyptic vibes of Madrid, including a detailed rundown from Tumaini on how he navigated the power outage early in the event.

Along with discussing the big runs by Casper Ruud, Jack Draper, and Aryna Sabalenka, we discuss what's up with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek.

Then we shift our attention to Rome, wh...

Ben and Tumaini (who can also be looked at as they talk in a video version of this episode on NCR's Patreon, if you're into that sort of thing) catch up after a few weeks apart at various stops on the tour.

We first, though, discuss why odd stories like Harriet Dart complaining about how her opponent smells wind up being the tennis stories that really break through to the mainstream. What can get people talking about tennis? And is it something that the tours with all their millions spent on promotion could capitalize on?

We...

Ben and Tumaini reconvene to try to make sense of the big lawsuit filed by the PTPA and a group of lesser-known players against the powers-that-be in tennis, what we make of the organization, and this big swing they're taking after years of not being recognized.

What do we make of the PTPA's 163-page laundry list of claims? What points resonate and which don't? And is there an inconsistency between their purported purpose for players and the arguments they're making? (You can also read Ben's interview with PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar.)

After spending the fi...

Ben and Tumaini are back together again after tennis traveled through the desert of Indian Wells, discussing crowning a new queen teen, a steady Brit, and women's tennis going for a new look.

We discuss Mirra Andreeva's success, her improvements, her admirable coach Conchita Martinez, and how her Russia nationality might play into her role as a new star.

We also discuss Aryna Sabalenka's saltiness in defeat, and Iga Swiatek's long defense of herself after a semifinal tantrum. 

We also discuss Jack Draper and his journey (which Tumaini has covered closely), and how he...

Ben and Tumaini reconvene for the first time back in their cold home hemisphere to discuss tennis happenings in February, which involve several complex stories.

First, we discussed the late-breaking news of Stefano Vukov receiving a one-year ban from the WTA, and the details that were reported by The Athletic about the WTA's reasons. Is this new proactive approach correct?

Second we discuss the retirement announcement of Simona Halep, whose legacy became much more complicated in the last few years. How should her career be remembered?

We then cover the many changes happening to...

Ben and Tumaini recorded one last show from this lovely trip to Melbourne, discussing the two singles finals.

We start with the triumphant, tour-de-force title run by Madison Keys, who was the best version of herself in many ways as she tore through a historically tough draw to win her first major after years of struggling with expectations. What made Keys so impressive? There are many correct answers.

Then on the men's side, we discuss Jannik Sinner's demolition of Alexander Zverev, not facing a break point in the entire final, and where Sinner goes from he...

Ben and Tumaini are together after four singles semifinals are in the books, one of which was an epic and one of which was a short story.

We start with the women, where Aryna Sabalenka played perhaps her best match of the tournament so far to beat Paula Badosa, booking a spot in the final against Madison Keys, who played perhaps the best match of her career to beat Iga Swiatek in the other semifinal. (Also, if you're interested solely in the women, FYI we circle back to talk more about Iga Swiatek at the very end of...

Ben and Tumaini are back after another round is in the books at this Australian Open, looking back at the quarterfinals and setting up the semifinal slate.

We start with the women, where Coco Gauff suffered a surprising unraveling at the hands of experienced thread-puller Paula Badosa. Badosa will play Aryna Sabalenka, while Madison Keys will face Iga Swiatek in the other semifinal.

On the men's side, Novak Djokovic won a thriller against Carlos Alcaraz to book his spot in the semifinal, and Ben Shelton sounded off about the on-court interviews after booking a spot in...

Ben and Tumaini are checking back in midway through this Australian Open, just as the quarterfinals are about to begin.

We break down the women's stories first, including check-ins on top contenders Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek. We also discuss all the fuss over Danielle Collins giving it back to a hostile crowd, Madison Keys' resurgence, and Elina Svitolina's transformation.

On the men's side, we discuss the upcoming showdown between Djokovic and Alcaraz, why Djokovic's boycott of Channel Nine was justified, and Jannik Sinner struggling in the heat.

Thank you for li...

Ben and Tumaini come to you from the rollicking first week of the Australian Open for a quick catch up on the major stories so far through two rounds here.

We discuss Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik's non-shock upset wins, Djokovic and Murray's early returns, Gael Monfils solving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Naomi Osaka's great wins over tough foes, Zheng Qinwen getting rattled against Laura Siegemund, and big wins by Brits Emma Raducanu, Jacob Fearnley, and Jack Draper.

As mentioned, there will be a bonus episode up on Patreon soon as well featuring Hsieh Su-wei and Je...

Ben and Tumaini have been working away at the Australian Open in the build-up to the main draw, taking a break to enjoy the sublime "One Point Slam," and writing lots of stuff we think you'll enjoy like Ben's piece on qualifying and interview with Goran Ivanisevic, and Tumaini's inside look at Murray coaching Djokovic and his fun story on cheating in tennis practice.

But the Australian Open draws are newly out, and they're our main focus on this episode, as we break down all the big contenders and the fun first round match-ups in Melbourne. 

C...

Ben and Tumaini are back together again in Melbourne, teeing up a season that started earlier than ever before, and a first week that ended with a classic.

We discuss the United Cup, which reached a peak in the final with Coco Gauff beating Iga Swiatek, turning what had been a hopelessly lopsided rivalry into an absolute thriller, a shift that could have major ramifications atop women's tennis. We also discuss the rest of the United Cup, a successful event that really seems to have found its footing. 

We also discuss Naomi Osaka's run to the...

Ben and Tumaini can't take a break with all the news breaking already in this short tennis offseason, led (so far) by the revelations around Iga Swiatek's positive test and small one-month ban after convincingly proving her melatonin had been contaminated.

This is the second doping case right at the top of tennis this year, and there's a lot to discuss in the fallout: the two-tiered track of tennis justice that seems to favor top-ranked players, concerns over cases increasing, and what recent high-profiles have in common and not.

We then turn to the unexpected...

Ben and Tumaini got a bunch more questions than fit into our previous episode, so, after an amazing musical prelude by Dan Bern, we answer the remainder of ones we got before recording in this separate episode.

We discuss a wide range of topics: Billie Jean King's suggestion that tennis should simply the scoring terminology; padel; ranking points at Challengers; the unpopularity of two-week Masters 1000 events; if Iga Swiatek should play more doubles; unimpressive comments by Ben Shelton and Jon Wertheim; Sara Errani's Hall of Fame candidacy; and the progress toward a possible ATP-WTA merger.

Th...

Ben and Tumaini join up once again to discuss the tennis season that is *still* going in mid-November, somehow.

We start with Jannik Sinner's dominant run at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he never lost more than four games in any set en route to a title that moved him even further from the pack. How discordant are these magnificent triumphs with the backdrop of his still unresolved anti-doping saga?

We also discuss the impressive season put together by finalist Taylor Fritz, express concern over the present and future of Daniil Medvedev, and discuss th...

Ben and Tumaini reunite for the first time in nearly a month to discuss the inaugural WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at which Coco Gauff won the trophy and a record $4.8 million prize.

We discuss Gauff and her resilient resurgence to finish her year on a high, and then we discuss the many conversation points around this event, both the positive and the negative. There's truth to be found on both sides, many various stakeholders with different priorities, and a lot of nuance in how this event can be understood.

We then pivot to...

Sometimes, as we've been reminded, life doesn't always turn out how you think it should. 

In this episode of NCR you'll hear from the recently retired Dominic Thiem via his appearance on a recent episode of the podcast A New Way of Being hosted by Simon Mundie. 

Simon joins Ben on this episode to expound and annotate on Thiem's journey, and what the lessons he learned might hold for us. We also discuss the unprecedented generational chasm between Thiem's generation and the one that came before, and what smartphone technology might have to do with it...

In an annual tradition, Ben and Ricky Dimon convene the day after the Marine Corps Marathon to discuss the year in men's tennis.

This year the top line story is pretty clear: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dividing and conquering the calendar, claiming the tour for their generation. Which one of them had a better year? And how much of a shadow (or a doubt?) does Sinner's positive test morass cast over his stellar year?

We also discuss the generation of 90s-born guys getting passed by, Djokovic hanging on, and young guys like Giovanni Mpetshi...

Rafael Nadal, one of the all-time greats who we have been lucky to watch and cover over the past two decades, made his retirement official today.

After learning a few days ago that his announcement was imminent, Ben and Tumaini pre-recorded an episode on their reaction to this long-anticipated news.

We discuss what led to this decision, share our favorite memories of Nadal from watching him on court and interacting with him off court, and discuss his legacy and how he completely disrupted the game.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back u...

Ben (who formally announces and thanks folks for following along at his new writing home, Bounces!) and Tumaini catch up on the happenings in the Asian swing so far, led by the star-studded results in Beijing that marks changes from New York.

On the women's side, Coco Gauff bounced back from a disappointing summer to win her second WTA 1000 title, beating Muchova in the final. Is this a meaningful rebirth for Gauff, or is she still a work in progress?

On the men's side, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner produced yet another spectacular duel in...

Ben catches up with Tumaini, who is freshly back from Berlin, about the state of the Laver Cup, which might as well be called the Federer Cup for how it foregrounds the retired superstar. We discuss the relevance, successes, and struggles of the event, and contrast it with Davis Cup, which had a lumpy round of competition in recent weeks to set up for its big final this year later in Spain.

Speaking of the tennis calendar, we discuss the age-old complaints about the tennis calendar which were given renewed voice by Carlos Alcaraz (and pushed back...

Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets for the second half of another home-and-home pair of podcasts looking ahead to the rest of the remaining year (and beyond, a bit) in women's tennis, counting down what we think the biggest stories and questions are.

After chatting about men's storylines over on The Mini Break Podcast, we focus on the women's side here, ranking the biggest curiosities and quandaries on what seems like a tour in transition.

From Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka making coaching changes, to the tour reestablishing itself in China and...

Ben and Tumaini wrap their U.S. Open coverage with a look at the women's and men's singles finals, in which Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner both completed a sweep of the hardcourt majors this season.

The finals were both fairly straightforward, which leaves us for some time to cover related topics and listener questions including the intense celebrification of the U.S. Open (hello, Taylor Swift), Sabalenka's career vs Azarenka's, the shadow of Sinner's anti-doping saga over his win, and Olympics skipping paying off.

We also zoom out a bit to discuss the total...

Ben and Tumaini are back again 24 hours later for a look at the men's side of the second week of this US Open, which has culminated with Jannik Sinner rolling into the final and Taylor Fritz ending a 15-year drought for American men between Slam final appearances.

We discuss the messy Sinner-Draper semifinal, the pivotal change that pushed Fritz past Frances Tiafoe, and how Fritz and Sinner might match up in the final.

We also talk about the (negative) vibe shift around Sinner after his recent anti-doping cloud, the repeated failures of Alexander Zverev at...

Ben and Tumaini cover the second week of the US Open on the women's side, which is now set to reach its dramatic conclusion in a final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. 

We discuss the two high-quality semifinals that set up these wins, what has made Sabalenka develop into such a better player than the version of her we first saw, and Pegula's long-awaited breakthrough.

We also discuss Pegula's win over Swiatek, the debated off-court moments of Swiatek's during and after the match, and the struggleful defeat of Coco Gauff. 

Thank you fo...

Ben and Tumaini chat through all the big stories of the first week of the U.S. Open, which kicked into gear with the upsets of two big men's stars.

Carlos Alcaraz (to Bob van de Slap!) and Novak Djokovic lost on back-to-back nights, but which was more surprising? We also discuss the crisis expressed in defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas, scheduling, and other issues on the men's side.

On the women's side, we discuss the difficulty in assessing Naomi Osaka's year, the thrill of Karolina Muchova, and concerns over Elena Rybakina. 

Lastly, Ben t...

Ben and Tumaini wrap up their U.S. Open preview double header with a discussion of the women's field at the 2024 U.S. Open.

We discuss topics such as the paths for Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, our relief at news of a coaching change by Elena Rybakina, the reliably broad resonance of Naomi Osaka's vulnerability, frustrations with Emma Raducanu's scheduling, the recent woes of Coco Gauff, and the golden glow-up of Zheng Qinwen.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope...

Ben and Tumaini discuss the men's field at the fast approaching U.S. Open, leading off with Jannik Sinner, the man who was the focus of our emergency episode earlier this week. How did he handle the press conference better than the USTA did? And (scattered throughout the rest of the episode) what were the reactions of other players in the draw?

We also discuss how contenders like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev are positioned in the draw, the uniquely international flavor of the wildcards at this year's Open, and how the qualifying week ballooning...

Ben and Tumaini jumped on today for an emergency episode about the stunning news today that ATP #1 Jannik Sinner had tested positive twice earlier this year for the banned substance Clostebol, a revelation that came simultaneous to the announcement that he had been found to bear "no fault or negligence" in the case.

We lay out the timeline of Sinner's year, and how this revelation adds depth to what was already a busy stretch in the young champion's life. We discuss what parts of the story about how his physiotherapist transferred the substance via unwashed finger injury...

Former WTA No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, still top of the ladder of most honest and direct players in tennis, talks with Ben in this interview episode about the current state of her career and her expectations, and how the tour has changed during her long career.

Pliskova discusses the aura that stars like Sharapova and Serena had, how Serena compares to Iga Swiatek on court, what it's been like since her twin sister Kristyna retired, and more.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, an...

Ben and Tumaini reunite to discuss all that happened in the Olympic tennis events, and a bit in the wider Olympics as well.

We start with the biggest story, which was Novak Djokovic, who has won everything else there is to win in tennis multiple times, finally claiming an elusive gold medal. At 37, with everything complete, could be the right time for him to retire on top? We also discuss his peers Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, and how these Olympics served as farewells for them as well in different ways.

We discuss the doubles...

Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets to preview the 2024 Olympic tennis event starting this weekend in Paris at Roland Garros, a quirky quadrennial event.

Can Iga Swiatek handle the pressure of the occasion? Can Barbora Krejcikova sustain her momentum from Wimbledon? And what does Coco Gauff need to do to reverse her fortunes against Swiatek?

We also discuss the women's doubles, where Gauff might have a better shot at gold, and the mixed draw, which is jam-packed with unique meetings like Errani-Medvedev.

This is a home-and-home series joint podcast, so...

This is an update on our main feed to let listeners know that we have a new mailbag episode (with a beloved and deeply missed NCR person) just up on our Patreon feed today!

We answer listener questions about tennis things like the impact of mid-match coaching and longer 1000 events and non-tennis things like our current favorite music and board games.

Thank you for listening and supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini reunite the morning after the Wimbledon Ball to discuss the champions who danced together after dancing alone atop their respective draws, Barbora Krejcikova and Carlos Alcaraz.

We discuss what makes Krejcikova so good (with an assist from Andrea Petkovic), where she goes from here, and the state of the top of the women's game after this result. 

After debuting an original song by NCR's bard Dan Bern, we turn to the men's champion Carlos Alcaraz, who delivered a decisive domination of Djokovic that clarifies their respective places in men's tennis right now. I...

Ben and Tumaini reunite now that the Wimbledon finals are set, to discuss the unexpected women's final between Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini, and the far more predictable rematch of last year's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

We discuss the great women's semifinals, including Paolini's epic battle against Vekic, and how Krejcikova is proving herself to be a generational talent.

On the men's side, we discuss Medvedev's near-default, and the disparate styles of locking in that Alcaraz and Djokovic both use with such success in best-of-five.

Thank you for listening! Our P...

Ben and Tumaini start this mid-tournament show with a catch up on the fourth round action, which included some crowd combativeness in victory from Novak Djokovic, some complaining and collapsing from Zverev, and some painful injuries on the grass.

We look ahead to the quarterfinals with special focus on the surprise runs of Emma Navarro, Lulu Sun, Barbora Krejcikova, and Taylor Fritz, and Tumaini also weighs in on the Raducanu/Murray mixed doubles mess.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week to ensure NCR keeps go...

Ben is joined by James Gray of The i newspaper, inews.co.uk, and Tennis Unfiltered to discuss Saturday's big upset and some doubles drama causing buzz around Wimbledon.

We discuss #1 Iga Swiatek getting hammered in the second and third sets by Yulia Putintseva as the crowd turned on her in the middle, but we start with the big British news of the day (in a busy time for British news generally), which was Emma Raducanu pulling the plug on Andy Murray's Wimbledon career by withdrawing from their mixed doubles match. What are the reactions to this...

Ben is joined by Ricky Dimon to discuss the first week of Wimbledon so far, which has been mostly pretty straightforward on the men's and women's sides.

We discuss the biggest scare a men's favorite has had so far, when Alcaraz needed five sets to beat Tiafoe, as well as Sinner's battle past Berrettini and Djokovic's tricky road ahead.

We also discuss the strong form of Emma Navarro, and the wide-open women's bottom half that includes a path for Emma Raducanu.

We also discuss the big retirement sendoff Wimbledon gave Andy Murray, a...

Ben is joined by L'Equipe's Quentin Moynet to discuss one of the most striking players at this year's Wimbledon, Maxime Janvier, who has stood out for his uniquely bleak outlook on tennis, even in victory.

We get into Janvier's remarkably open cynicism, his mid-match explanations about money, class divides throughout the tennis rankings, and how his remarks have been received within tennis circles.

Ben and Quentin also discuss the player whom Janvier beat in the final round of qualifying, young French rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who scored an upset win over Sebastian Korda today...

Ben and Tumaini continue their conversation into the men's draw, where Jannik Sinner is the top seed for the first time at a Slam, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz looms in his half, and grass specialists like Matteo Berrettini loom large.

We take several deep dives along the way into scheduling and health issues, first discussing the women and men who decided to skip the Olympics and why they might regret it. Tumaini then regales us with Andy Murray's full saga leading up to what he's confirmed will be his last Slam, and then we close with a...

Ben and Tumaini spent a long time discussing the Wimbledon draws just hours after they came out, and are splitting the preview episode into two parts for your convenience.

First up are the women, where top seed Iga Swiatek has question marks on grass, where Parks-Wozniacki is one of the most intriguing first round matches (and listen to the discussed Black Spin Global interview with Parks' coach here), and where lots of other possible pivot points exist in understanding how this all might unfold.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for supporting NCR on our renewed...

Ben is joined on this episode by Barbora Strycova, a titan on grass courts over the last decade before her retirement, to talk about the secrets to success on this unique surface which takes up just about a month on the tennis calendar.

We discuss what works on grass, her memories of deep runs at Wimbledon, winning with Hsieh Su-wei, beating a Brit on Centre Court, facing Serena, and more.

Hope you enjoy! NCR's Patreon is back up and running soon and we'd love to have your support there!

Ben is joined by Jonathan Crane, who covered the recent criminal trial of Alexander Zverev in Berlin for DW, to discuss the proceedings he covered before and during the French Open and the conclusion they reached last Friday.

We discuss how the case reached this point, the atmosphere inside the court room, and the ultimate resolution they reached in which Zverev made settlements with both his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea and the court itself.

We also discuss Zverev's misleading claims of proven innocence, how the ATP failed to face this issue, and what justice can mean...

Ben and Tumaini wrap up their coverage of this French Open with a look at the generation-leading champions who won it, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz.

Swiatek, who won her fifth Slam, has established herself as the best player in many generations, drawing comparisons to stars like Justine Henin with her fourth win in Paris. What can she do to play as well at the other Slams?

On the men's side, how did Carlos Alcaraz survive hot and cold streaks to be cool under pressure to finish off his third Slam?

Also, how...

Ben checks in with Tumaini in Paris to discuss all the happenings of the business end of a sometimes fun, often frustrating French Open.

We start with the women, where Iga Swiatek is set to face Jasmine Paolini in the final. Both great stories on their own, as we discuss, but will the final itself be a memorable one?

We then tuck into the men, among whom Novak Djokovic bowed out with a torn meniscus, and the Sinner-Alcaraz blockbuster semifinal was fairly lumpy.

We also briefly discuss our reactions to the sudden end...

Ben and Lindsay Gibbs of Power Plays are celebrating together in Tennessee and also discussing what they see in tennis, when it comes to how the women's game may be missing out on the cultural wave that other women's sports are riding in 2024.

What separates the trajectory of women's tennis from the momentum brought by Caitlin Clark to basketball and similar surges in professional women's soccer and hockey? What should the WTA's priorities be? How much are female players responsible for the success of their sport as a product?

We also touch on the Alexander...

Ben checks in with Tumaini at Roland Garros to discuss the match of the tournament so far, in which Naomi Osaka was just one point away from stunning the huge favorite Iga Swiatek before the three-time champ rallied for a late escape.

How does this surprisingly strong performance set up Osaka for the remainder of her season? And is it a cause for concern for Swiatek's favorite status in Paris?

Also, we discuss Elena Rybakina's souring in her first round press conference, and revisit Tumaini's thoughts on Rafael Nadal's future.

Ben and Ricky Dimon debrief on what very much looked like Rafael Nadal's last match at the French Open, in which the 14-time champion played decently but was clearly overmatched by fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev.

We discuss the match, and hear from Rafa himself on what his future might hold. If not answers, there was some clarity in his remarks that helps light a clearer path for his future.

We also discuss what was most impressive in Nadal's era of dominance, the newfound parity seemingly hitting men's tennis, and a couple other early results from Sinner...

Ben and Tumaini reconvene for a quick-paced look through the French Open draws, looking at the top lines stories from the wide-open men's draw and the Swiatek-steered women's side.

We start with the headline first round match between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev, a daunting test for the 14-time champion against an opponent who brings on-court for and in-court legal issues to make this a discomfiting occasion. 

We also discuss Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Danielle Collins, and more! 

Enjoy the tennis, amis!

Ben and Tumaini catch up on the Dinara Double, in which Iga Swiatek "won Rome and Madrid" while on the men's side a whole bunch of draws fell apart and the top of the men's ladder looked shakier than it has in years.

We talk about Swiatek launching herself into a new orbit, the upper hand she has on Sabalenka, and wax poetic about the current gloriousness of Danielle Collins.

We also discuss the uncertainties around many men's stars, including Djokovic, Sinner, Nadal, and Alcaraz.

We then spend a lot of this mega...

To dive further into "Challengers," the much-buzzed-about tennis movie coming out this Friday, Ben chats with the movie's screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes about his inspiration to tell a story about the unique emotional landscape of tennis.

We discuss the infamous match that planted the initial seed of desperation, the details tennis heads are appreciating (including the Applebee's near the Cincinnati tournament), introducing the sometimes convoluted structure of tennis to a general audience, the eroticism of tennis, and possible similarities with his wife Celine Song's acclaimed 2023 film "Past Lives."

Thanks for listening! 

Ben and AJ Eccles attended screenings of the new movie CHALLENGERS this week, and are here to discuss this bold new entry into the growing tennis movie canon (NB: we very carefully avoided any significant spoilers until a very clearly marked intermission at the 41-minute mark).

Directed by Luca Guadanigno and starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist, we discuss how CHALLENGERS compares to recent tennis movies like KING RICHARD and BATTLE OF THE SEXES, and how fiction can actually allow for greater truths.

We also discuss what big and small things new movie gets...

Ben and Tumaini reconvened this week to react to the news that the WTA Finals are going to Saudi Arabia, a move that felt unfathomable five years ago but has more recently felt inevitable. What do we make of the news? Should women's sports be held to a different standard when it comes to selling out? And what does the deal say about both the recent past and near future of women's tennis?

We then shift to a conversation about the proposed Premier Tour, a radical revamp described in detail in an interview of USTA CEO Lew...

Ben and Tumaini answer listener questions and recap the month that was in March, where Indian Wells and Miami formed the Sunshine Double and changed some of the forecasts of the sport.

We start with Indian Wells, where Swiatek and Alcaraz won their second titles and Novak Djokovic lost early and bailed on the swing. We then head to Miami, where Danielle Collins won the biggest title of her career and Jannik Sinner cemented his spot as the dominant player on tour. We also discuss recent form of Dimitrov, Gauff, Sabalenka, and more.

From our...

Picking up where we left off on the last episode, Ben and Tumaini cover several other big stories from the first part of this season. We talk about the diverging fates of Brits in tennis, as Andy Murray sets a dispirited retirement date while Katie Boulter surges to a new high.

We then spend quite a while on the health of women's tennis as a product, which seems to be getting left in the dust while the men surge, with no apparent strategy for building interest in their product. What can be done? And how transformative can...

Ben and Tumaini had a lot to catch up on this week, so we are splitting this episode into two parts.

The first part, here, begins with the Court of Arbitration for Sport issuing a radical reversal of the first decision on Simona Halep's positive test, which means Halep can return to tour immediately. We don't have all the answers yet, but what does the dramatic disparity between the two decisions say about the dysfunction of the tennis anti-doping system?

In the second part of this episode, we discuss Andrey Rublev getting defaulted from his...

Ben and Tumaini turn to the women (and the miscellany) in this second Australian Open wrap show.

This one was more straightforward, resultswise: Aryna Sabalenka was the best player, by a lot, defending her title in emphatic fashion. What do we make of her consolidation as a champion? And where is the sport at now, geopolitically?

We also cover the strong runs of Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen, as well as early exits of Swiatek, Wozniacki, and Naomi Osaka.

We also cover some other miscellaneous stories of the tournament, including the delightful Hsieh...

Jannik Sinner is the winner of the Australian Open, dethroning the Djokovic dynasty and prevailing in a thrilling comeback final to claim his first Slam win.

We discuss Sinner's ascendance and what the defeats mean for the two men, Djokovic and Medvedev, whom he beat to clinch this title. 

We also discuss other various things on the men's side of the tournament (we also recorded a women's episode which will come soon), including late finishes.

We then close with a discussion of the darkening shadow that the abuse accusations against Alexander Zverev cast o...

Coming full circle, NCR begins its 13th(!) season with our look at the Australian Open draws.

Ben and Tumaini start with the men. Who can meaningfully challenge Novak Djokovic?

And then we talk about the women. Have you heard that Ben wrote a book about Naomi Osaka? We really think you'll like it, and we thank you for buying it!

We'll be back with you with more shows during the tournament!

At last it's finally publication day for Ben's new book, the biography Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice! 

After months of copious plugs on the show, we are excited to finally be able to talk about the book in more depth and detail, with the tremendous help of NCR's intrepid correspondent Reem Abulleil who interviews Ben about the book, his process, and some of the key moments of Naomi's career.

Reem was also a close observer of Naomi's since her earliest days on the tour, so there's lots to discuss h...

Ben and Tumaini have a lot to cover as they try to make sense of the year in women's tennis and explain the forces behind the stormy finish to the year, on-court and off-court, and where it leaves the sport going forward.

After a brief discussion on the last couple events of the men's calendar—including if Jannik Sinner was right to keep Novak Djokovic in contention in Turin—we dig into the year that was on court, first by running through some of the headlines off court, and then covering how that turned into headlines off-court with...

With Ricky Dimon in town to run his sixth Marine Corps Marathon, he joins Ben for their annual wrap show on the year that was in men's tennis, which was another season of Novak Djokovic, now 36, lording over a much younger field.

Ben and Ricky get somewhat granular, going over the top seventeen men in the rankings and spending a few minutes on each, assessing their years and their prospects for next year.

In order: Dimitrov, Shelton, Tiafoe, Khachanov, de Minaur, Paul, Ruud, Hurkacz, Fritz, Rune, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rublev, Sinner, Medvedev, Alcaraz, and Djokovic

Ben and Tumaini read the 126-page decision in the tribunal's decision to convict former No. 1 Simona Halep on two charges of intentional doping, and give you a deep dive into the details of the document and expound on what it all means.

In the first half of this episode we get into the details so you don't have to, explaining the reasons why the tribunal was "comfortably satisfied" of Halep's guilt, and how they arrived to those two parallel verdicts through different detection methods. We also discuss why Halep's defenses failed, and what she was trying to...

Ben and Tumaini wrap the US Open finals in their eighth show of the tournament, starting with Coco Gauff fulfilling the years of hype and hope by winning her first grand slam title. What did this win show us about a player we first met when she was a young teenager of 13 or 15? And what are the perils of such expectations?

We then get into Djokovic's win over Medvedev, for his 24th major. Where does he go from here? And how should his relationship to the public best be characterized at this point?

You'll also...

Ben and Tumaini discuss the four semifinals that were, and all the storylines they contained, before looking ahead a bit to the fast-approaching US Open finals.

First, what do they think of the protest that lengthily interrupted Coco Gauff's win? What is the message tennis should take from that moment? And how was Madison Keys derailed from her zoning start by Aryna Sabalenka?

And what about Naomi Osaka, who dropped in on the US Open and discussed future plans (you can and should pre-order Ben's biography of Naomi as soon as you can, as many...

Ben is joined by Blair Henley, the star interviewer on tennis courts around the world, to talk about her new role as an announcer inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the many different roles she's had at this US Open.

What are the challenges of being the "Voice of God" at the world's biggest tennis stadiums? What makes on-court interviewing such a unique thrill? And what have been her standout moments of the tournament so far?

All that and more! And you can still pre-order Ben's book, and he'd be very appreciative! 

Ben and NCR's Youth correspondent Alex Gruskin discuss Ben Shelton's big win Tuesday night over Frances Tiafoe in the US Open quarterfinals, a big result both within the American tennis ladder and in the big picture of the ATP generations game.

Has Shelton's generation (Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune, etc) already passed Tiafoe's generation (Tsitsipas, Rublev, Auger-Aliassime etc) for good? What about within the American ladder?

And when did the buzz about Shelton, who seemed to come out of nowhere, first start?

Exciting news, listeners! For the next three days members can get 25% off when t...

Ben and Tumaini convene in the late hours of the night after Jelena Ostapenko thunderously knocked out Iga Swiatek, emphatically ending both Swiatek's title defense and her 75-week reign at the #1 ranking.

Given Ostapenko's talent and head-to-head record, should this be considered a "bad loss" for Swiatek? Can Ostapenko win the tournament? How does Aryna Sabalenka come into the #1 ranking?

Plus, a bit on Gauff d. Wozniacki, the constant corner chatter of coaches, and on how the worst way to beat Novak Djokovic seems to be to take the first two sets against him. 

For our fourth daily show from the US Open, Ben is joined by tennis writer AJ Eccles to discuss his return to live tennis at the US Open last night, and what the sport looks like from inside the stadium.

What did it feel like being back at a crowded tennis tournament after years away? What are the differences between watching live and watching on TV And what was it like seeing his favorites Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitova battle it out in one of the marquee matches of the first week?

Ben is joined by David Waldstein of The New York Times, who recently wrote about the disconnect between the US Open and its neighbors, the Latino communities of Corona and other neighborhoods like Elmhurst and Flushing.

Why is the US Open so walled off from these communities? What could be done to make them more connected and invested in one another? And what is lost by hundreds of thousands of people passing over these neighborhoods in "flyover" fashion as the tournament teleports its people from Midtown Manhattan to the island of the USTABJKNTC?

Ben and Tumaini reconvene on Day 2 of this US Open to talk about players retiring at this US Open, including Barbora Strycova (who you'll hear), CoCo Vandeweghe, and Jack Sock.

But mostly, we talk about John Isner, the towering American who had an outsized impact on the sport while being popular among his peers but polarizing among fans. 

You'll hear from Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Eric Butorac, and John himself about what his legacy has been on the court, where he broke records and uniquely inspired rule changes.

We discuss Isner's spectacular serve, t...

Ben and Tumaini are back together again at the US Open, for the first of what will be daily shows here!

We discuss the big story off-court, which is the Saudi bid to move into women's tennis, as well as some of the big headlines on court on Day 1, where Maria Sakkari and Holger Rune were the notable upset victims.

Also, how relevant is American tennis globally?

As he wraps up the book he's been writing about Naomi Osaka (pre-order now, please, thank you!) Ben is back on site at the ATP-WTA tournament in Washington, where he did a short-but-sweet interview with Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion who remains a remarkably engaging presence on the tour as she looks for ways to rediscover her dominance.

Ben and Bianca chat about the stage presence she gets from her "unapologetic" mom, the upsides and downsides of having set the bar so high for what she can do in 2019, and how she works to block...

Ben and Reem Abulleil chat about the big stories of the business end of Wimbledon, starting with the massive narrative potential of the men's final. Does Carlos Alcaraz's win over Novak Djokovic in the final represent a passing of the torch, or something less drastic? How surprised were we by this result? And how could this be a good thing for Djokovic going forward?

We also discuss Chris Eubanks and Matteo Berrettini, who both had meaningfully great runs on the men's side.

On the women, we discuss how Marketa Vondrousova went so under the radar...