Episodes
Sunday May 30, 2021
Episode 299f: French Open Day 1 - Slams Dig In Against Osaka's Stand
Sunday May 30, 2021
Sunday May 30, 2021
While there was certainly on court news on Day 1 at the French Open, led by #4 Dominic Thiem exiting in the first round and further opening up the men's draw in its already wide-open bottom, the news of the day again revolved around Naomi Osaka, against whom the Grand Slams responded forcefully with a $15,000 and threat of further, escalating sanctions if she does not end her boycott of mandatory post-match media obligations.
Ben is joined by Andrew Eccles of The Spin to discuss the standoff, why it has escalated, and why it has resonated so widely beyond tennis. We discuss why more understanding of both sides is warranted, the unclear but important mental health side of this situation, and how it all might resolve itself.
Plus a bit on Thiem, Sabalenka, Kvitova, and Eurovision, natch.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can during the French Open, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! 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, Mike, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Saturday May 29, 2021
Episode 299e: Draw Me Like One of Your French Opens, 2021
Saturday May 29, 2021
Saturday May 29, 2021
It's our favorite annual episode title! Ben and Courtney dive deep into the draws of Roland Garros to cover themselves in tidbits and terre battue about this draw.
Defending champions Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek hit together on Saturday; how likely was it that Nadal was going to know anything about possible Swiatek first round opponents? We explore.
On the women we go into folks including Barty, Swiatek, Kenin, Pliskova, Stephens, Muguruza, Sabalenka, Serena, Andreescu, and Osaka, while the men's side is more a conversation about how loaded the top half is around Rafael Nadal, and the opportunities it presents for the lads on the bottom.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can during the French Open, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! 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, Mike, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Thursday May 27, 2021
Episode 299d: Naomi Osaka Chooses Silence
Thursday May 27, 2021
Thursday May 27, 2021
The surprising story that has dominated the week's tennis conversation is Naomi Osaka's statement that she will not be doing press conferences at the French Open, citing "mental health."
To discuss Osaka's decision, which seems small but pulls on many different threads, Ben is joined by Tumaini Carayol of The Guardian. Where did this choice come from? Does it make sense, based on how Osaka has been treated by the press? What does it say about celebrities increasingly controlling their content? How will other players react to her decision? And more such conundrums.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can each week, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! 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, Mike, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Thursday May 20, 2021
Episode 299c: NCRvision Spotlight: Dan Bern
Thursday May 20, 2021
Thursday May 20, 2021
It's that wonderful time of year, for the first time in two years: Eurovision!
At NCR, Eurovision means NCRvision, our celebration of the intersection of tennis and music--main show here; results show here--where we've found this episode's troubadour.
Dan Bern, the singer-songwriter whose song "Isner and Mahut" closed out NCRvision, joins Ben to chat and play a live concert of several of his original songs inspired by tennis players of the past and present.
It's a show like none we've ever done before on NCR, and we do hope you enjoy it.
If you want to hear more from Dan, he has newly bundled 15 of his original tennis songs together on his Bandcamp for you to check out.
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can each week, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! 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, Mike, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Thursday May 13, 2021
Episode 299b: Donald Dell
Thursday May 13, 2021
Thursday May 13, 2021
After our mailbag fun over on Patreon in past weeks, we return to the main feed of NCR with the first in-person interview we've done for NCR in more than a year.
Donald Dell, an agent and promoter who did as much to shape the professional tennis landscape into its modern form as anyone over his decades in the sport, joins Ben near DC to discuss the structure of the sport, how it got that way, and what sort of changes might be on the horizon (ATP-WTA merger, a separate players union, etc).
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! If you'd like to join in as we bring you the best shows we can each week, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! 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, Mike, Pam Shriver, Chris Bishop, and Nicole Copeland!)