Episodes
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Episode 344: U.S. Open Draw Show 2022!
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Ben and Tumaini Carayol are courtside at the U.S. Open to give you the outlook on how the year's last Grand Slam and Serena Williams' last tournament is shaking up.
We start with the women, where we discuss Iga Swiatek cooling off from her lava-hot spring swing, her complaints about the balls, the Azarenka-Kostyuk situation, Emma Raducanu, Osaka-Collins, and more.
We finish, of course, with a discussion of Serena, and what her last singles matches could look like.
On the men's side, it seems like a very open draw due to notable absences, except for that Rafael Nadal guy who seems to win every time he's overlooked this year.
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Episode 341: Walking Around Wimbledon’s Century
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
Sunday Jun 26, 2022
On the 100th birthday of Centre Court, Ben is joined by Alexandra Willis, the director of communications and marketing for Wimbledon, and the two of them take a walk into Centre Court's most hallowed places.
Along the way, we discuss Wimbledon's continuing balancing between retaining history and progressing to the present, plans of growth ahead, and the circumstances and consequences of the ban of Russian and Belarusian players this year.
Spice up your ears and enjoy!
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Episode 338: Swiatek and Nadal Roll Roland Garros
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Sunday Jun 05, 2022
Ben and Tumaini Carayol meet back up just hours after the men's final at Roland Garros to discuss Rafael Nadal's record extending 14th title here and Iga Swiatek's streak extending 35th win and second French Open title.
We start with Swiatek, who has just been so dominant. Is the field anywhere close to her now? What will it take for a challenger to emerge? And what to make of the strong run by teen phenom Coco Gauff to the final?
Then we switch to the men--how to reconcile Nadal's dominance and his injury malaise? How much longer do we think he has left? And what will Djokovic regret about letting this one slip?
We wrap up with a look at why night sessions were not ready for prime time in Paris, and what to look for as the grass is green on the other side of the English Channel.
Thanks for listening, folks!
Friday May 20, 2022
Episode 337: Draw Me Like One of Your French Opens, 2022
Friday May 20, 2022
Friday May 20, 2022
We are delighted to return to you, and to return to Paris, and to return our favorite annual episode title!
Ben and Tumaini Carayol start this French Open draw show with a bit first on the big news of the day, which was the ATP and WTA deciding to withhold ranking points from this year's Wimbledon Championships because of the tournament banning Russian and Belarusian players. What effect will this have on the tournament, the players, and the outlook for the #1 ranking in men's tennis?
We then break down the French Open draws, starting with the women and prohibitive favorite Iga Swiatek. Who or what can stop her from cruising onward to her second French Open title? We also discuss two of the most compelling floaters, Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu.
On the men's side, we discuss the top-heavy draw, how the three-horse race of Djokovic, Nadal, and Alcaraz has set up, and who can take advantages of the openings on the bottom half.
Thank y'all for listening! Bonsoiree!
Friday Apr 22, 2022
Episode 336: Was Wimbledon Right to Ban Russians and Belarusians?
Friday Apr 22, 2022
Friday Apr 22, 2022
Wimbledon took the drastic step of banning all Russian and Belarusian players from this year's tournament, escalating the impact that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had on the world of tennis.
Tumaini Carayol joins Ben to discuss this decision, where it fits into the British political context, and how it might further divide an already fractious sport.
Is fairness a possible concept amid a war? What can we learn from past precedents? And what might tennis authorities have to do next as this war shows no sign of abating?
Thank you for listening to NCR! We are on Patreon, Twitter, and your favorite podcast apps.
Friday Apr 15, 2022
Episode 335: José Morgado on Tennis Twitter
Friday Apr 15, 2022
Friday Apr 15, 2022
Taking the face of your tennis scrolling into your ears, Ben is joined by José Morgado, the Portuguese reporter and commentator who has become the most complete and comprehensive stop on Tennis Twitter for news and information about this never-stopping sport.
José discusses the state of tennis in Portugal, how he got into the sport, building a presence on Tennis Twitter, and the prizes and pitfalls from being an increasingly visible figure in this strange space.
Thank you for listening to NCR!
Saturday Apr 02, 2022
Episode 334: Harvey Fialkov, Miami Maven
Saturday Apr 02, 2022
Saturday Apr 02, 2022
Harvey Fialkov, a veteran sportswriter who covers the Miami Open with more gusto than anybody, joins Ben to share his contagious excitements for all things tennis.
Chatting before the women's final, Ben and Harvey discuss the pros and cons of the move from Key Biscayne to the Dolphins' stadium, memories of tournaments past, South Florida's status as a hotbed of world tennis, and who catches his eye on the current tour.
Harvey is a delight to share a press room with, and we hope you also can feel his effervescence in this audio medium.
We have paused our crowdfunding efforts while Ben's focus is taken up by his book project, but we thank you for your support!
Tuesday Mar 22, 2022
Episode 332: Ash Barty Goes Out On Top
Tuesday Mar 22, 2022
Tuesday Mar 22, 2022
Emergency Episode!
Top-ranked Ash Barty's surprise announcement that she is calling it a career at only 25 years old and less than two months after winning the Australian Open was urgent cause for our first emergency episode in a long while, folks!
Reem Abulleil joins Ben to discuss our immediate reactions to the news and Barty's initial explanations, how we process it, Barty's legacies of looking out for herself and maintaining firm control over her career, and what the tour now looks like in its sudden post-Barty era.
We're gonna miss you heaps, Ash.
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!)
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Episode 331: Indian Wells - Fritz Breaks Through; Swiatek Soars
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Just back from the desert, Ben chats with David Avakian about the weeks that were at Indian Wells, with culminated in a surprise triumph for Taylor Fritz over Rafael Nadal, and an increasingly expected victory for Iga Swiatek, over Maria Sakkari.
For the men, we discuss Fritz and where American men's tennis is at globally right now, what lies ahead for Nadal and the field, Kyrgios' strong run and awkward finish, Norrie's banishment to Stadium 5.
On the women's side, we discuss Swiatek emerging as a dominant force on the tour and the room she might have to go even higher, if Sakkari can push higher, and some other breakout performances from the week.
Oh, and Holland's Got Tallon, in case you missed it.
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!)
Friday Feb 25, 2022
Episode 329: The Men in Mexico (with Mike Cation)
Friday Feb 25, 2022
Friday Feb 25, 2022
Acapulco has turned into one of the biggest tennis destinations on the ATP calendar, and our buddy Mike Cation is there this week, checking in on a week of festive fun, new highs, and distressing lows.
We discuss the atmosphere at this unique resort, night-time event, the wild day Stefan Kozlov had that contributed to the latest finish in ATP history, the violent outburst that got Alexander Zverev kicked out of the tournament, Daniil Medvedev's ascent to the No. 1 ranking, and more.
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!)