Episodes
Friday Feb 04, 2022
Episode 326: Australian Open - Nadal and Barty’s Fairytale Endings
Friday Feb 04, 2022
Friday Feb 04, 2022
The stormy lead-up to the Australian Open ended with two great resplendent victories, with Ash Barty becoming the first Aussie champ in Melbourne in four decades, and Rafael Nadal winning just his second Australian Open to win a record 21st Grand Slam men's singles title.
On Barty, we discuss her win, the catharsis after a lack of tension, parallels to Andy Murray, and how the field could try to disrupt her dominance. We also discuss runner-up Danielle Collins, who breaks into the Top 10 after a run of self-driven power tennis.
We then move to the men's side, where Nadal's win was seen as obvious from the outside but as a longshot inside the sport. What does this remarkable comeback win mean for him and the sport? Was Medvedev right to be aggrieved at the crowd? And what should be done to police mid-match coaching after seeing the Tsitsipas sting operation in the semifinals?
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our ELEVENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers Pam Shriver and J O'D!)
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Episode 325: Australian Open - Semifinal Showdowns
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Ben and Tumaini Carayol are back to discuss the four women and four men still in contention to win this Australian Open, which has held up to set up for some surprisingly unsurprising semifinals.
On the women's side, can anyone derail Ash Barty, or even approach the dimension of her game? How much has the heat been a factor in the success of Madison Keys and Danielle Collins? And what is Iga Swiatek showing us that she didn't during her French Open run?
On the men's side, why are folks sleeping on Matteo Berrettini? Can Rafael Nadal win 21? Why is Daniil Medvedev such a troll, and why is Stefanos Tsitsipas so cold?
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our ELEVENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers Pam Shriver and J O'D!)
Saturday Jan 22, 2022
Episode 324: Australian Open - The Slam After the Storm
Saturday Jan 22, 2022
Saturday Jan 22, 2022
Now that the Djokovic debacle has ended and the tennis has begun, Ben and Tumaini Carayol wrap up the big stories of the first week of the Australian Open.
What did we see from Naomi Osaka in how she won and in how she handled defeat? How did Emma Raducanu manage to slice her way into Romanian hearts? Can anyone stop Barty and Medvedev?
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our ELEVENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers Pam Shriver and J O'D!)
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Episode 322: 2022 Australian Open Draw Preview
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Ben and Courtney(!) know that a whole lot else has been going on in the world of tennis, but now that Novak Djokovic is on a plane out of Australia (which wasn't yet settled when we recorded), the coast is clear to talk about the draws ahead for the year's first Grand Slam.
How is Ash Barty's ambition clearer than before, and will that eagerly awaited match with Naomi Osaka happen? How do last year's surprise success stories look early on this year?
Also, Ben's been imagining a specific surprise champion on the men's side, and we send some love to friends in the tennis world.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our ELEVENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers Pam Shriver and J O'D!)
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Episode 320: Djokovic’s Exemption and The Vibes
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Ben and Tumaini Carayol reunite in Melbourne's newest arena (which could have better acoustics, sorry) to discuss the great vibes at the tournament, and the news which harshed them considerably.
Novak Djokovic's announcement that he had received a medical exemption which would allow him to play the Australian Open without the required coronavirus vaccination. This has caused considerable anger in Australia, and we discuss why it has been such a buzzkill.
We also talk about why the ATP Cup isn't resonating with viewers, and the happy comeback of Naomi Osaka.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our ELEVENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers Pam Shriver and J O'D!)
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Episode 317: Peng Shuai, China, and the End of WTAsia?
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Ben is joined by The Guardian's Tumaini Carayol to discuss the fallout of the accusations made by Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai against a senior government official, the WTA's strong stance, and the impact on tennis in China going forward.
Was the WTA's partnership with China always doomed to fail, as Tumaini predicted in 2019? And what would a reset of the tour without China look like for the future of women's tennis?
Plus, the new-look WTA year-end championship event in Guadalajara and the same-look-new-venue event for the ATP in Turin.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Episode 313: ATP is Investigating Zverev; What Comes Next?
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Nearly a year after Olga Sharypova publicly accused tennis star Alexander Zverev of repeated physical and emotional abuse during their relationship, the ATP announced this week that it is opening an investigation into (one of the) accusations, which Zverev has repeatedly denied in blanket terms.
Ben, who has interviewed Sharypova and investigated the story for both Racquet and Slate, is joined by Mary Carillo and Jessica Luther to discuss the accusations and their impact on the sport.
What took so long for the ATP to act, and why is their scope limited to Shanghai 2019? Should we have faith in the ATP to do a proper investigation? What does an investigation need to do the job correctly? How important is Sharypova's continued participation and cooperation?
How has tennis dealt with the cloud over the sport in the past year? Why are tennis broadcasters so reluctant to discuss difficult topics? What to make of the select input from other players? And more.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Episode 312: Starting up in San Diego (With Dani Vallverdu)
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
The tennis map has been redrawn this year as the world continues shifting during the pandemic, bringing the tours to many new stops that it previously left out. This has included many major American cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, and San Diego, where there was a first-ever ATP event this week.
Dani Vallverdu, managing director of the new San Diego Open, joins Ben to discuss what it took to make a new ATP tournament in only six weeks, the shifting sands of the calendar and where they might go from here, traditional vs. non-traditional markets, and the persistence and appeal of Andy Murray.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Episode 310b: Medvedev Beats Djokovic for U.S. Open Title; the Grand Slam Is Hard
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Ben and Courtney begin "Boys' Time!" at the U.S. Open with a discussion of Novak Djokovic falling one match short of his historic bid for the Grand Slam (which means a specific thing, y'all). What signs were there that Djokovic was in trouble, looking back? And how does Djokovic, 34, move on from this?
We then salute our new major champion and Troll King, Daniil Medvedev, who had established himself as an heir apparent in recent years and deservedly took the throne in New York. What makes him so much fun among the problematic ATP Top 5?
We also discuss semifinalist Felix Auger-Aliassime, who still hasn't quite been convincing, the effervescent joy of Frances Tiafoe, the potential of Carlos Alcaraz, and the breakthrough run of Bob Van de Slap.
We end by finally flushing the Flushing furor over bathroom breaks, and how both Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas reacted to it all in unideal ways.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Episode 308: Live, From New York, It's US Open Draw Show!
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Reunited for their first in-person show together in more than 18 months, Ben and Courtney chat in New York on the eve of the U.S. Open about storylines from the men's and women's draws, including:
Who, if anyone, can derail Novak Djokovic? Why is Stefanos Tsitsipas a good draw for Andy Murray? What do we make of Barty's increasingly impressive reign at #1, and can Osaka or Andreescu contend without much match play? And what about all the top players who are missing?
Tangents on Venus Williams in Chicago, Jil Teichmann, and the surprising person whom Ben spoke to this week about a fast-rising qualifier.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) ad-free season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can this year! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)