No Challenges Remaining

Episode 354: Bianca Andreescu

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 out the noise of being in the public arena.

Thanks for listening!

Episode 344: U.S. Open Draw Show 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.

Episode 340: Wimbledon 2022 Draw Preview

Ben and Tumaini Carayol are back together again at Wimbledon for another look ahead at a Grand Slam draw, looking at the men's field, the women's field, and a concerning hole on the side of Court 14. 

After a general look at the draw balance--and the intrigue missing from the field because of the ban of Russian and Belarusian players--Ben and Tumaini dig into the men's draw, in which balance emerged despite some misleading seedings, with Hubert Hurkacz and Matteo Berrettini landing in separate quarters from fellow contenders Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

On the women's side, we discuss Serena Williams' unexpected return and her prospects, Ons Jabeur's comfort in this world, Bianca Andreescu reasserting her gifts, and Iga Swiatek's chances of extending her streak of dominance. Also, justice for Julia Pegula. 

Thanks for listening, as always! 

Episode 337: Draw Me Like One of Your French Opens, 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! 

Episode 310a: Emma Raducanu Wins U.S. Open; What, Like It‘s Hard?

Ben and Courtney dive right into the paradigm shifting, generational groundshaking moment that shocked the tennis world this week in New York: the photo of Maria Sharapova with the Williams Sisters at the Met Gala.

After that, we turn our sights to the new star born in New York, Emma Raducanu, who won history as the first qualifier to win a Slam. What made her such a juggernaut on court? And how will her broad base of support in strong markets like Britain and China make her a force off court?

We also discuss the thrilling underdog run of runner-up Leylah Fernandez, Barbora Krejcikova's still-remarkable year, Ash Barty's disappointing exit, and the first week MVP that was Sloane Stephens.

We also have a long chat about Naomi Osaka, and how a break from tennis might be just what she needs to recalibrate and recontextualize her career.

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!)

Episode 308: Live, From New York, It's US Open Draw Show!

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!)

Episode 302: Quiet, Please - Wimbledon 2021 Draw

Ben and Courtney reunite from eight time zones apart to discuss the men's and women's draws at Wimbledon, where the tours return after two years away.

We start with the men, where Novak Djokovic is a clear favorite. But the French Open taught us to be ready for surprises, right?

The women's side is, as typical, quite wide open. And like the men, there's some incomplete data for these players on grass which makes it all trickier than a slice from a carving station.

Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can during the Wimbledon! 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!)

Episode 299e: Draw Me Like One of Your French Opens, 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!)

Episode 293h: Australian Open 2021 - Naomi Osaka Wins Her Fourth (and Counting...)

With a second Australian Open title and fourth Grand Slam win overall, Naomi Osaka is into what feels like the beginning of the resume-padding phase of her already illustrious career.

Ben and Courtney discuss Osaka's impressive run in Melbourne that ended with a win over Jennifer Brady, where she goes from here (particularly on clay), and the current state of the top of women's tennis.

We also discuss the quirks of Jennifer Brady, our feelings about fully automated officiating, the charisma of Bianca Andreescu and Daniil Medvedev, and whether or not BlacKkKlansman was a good movie.

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!)

As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 293b: Australian Open 2021 - Day 3: The Passion of Venus

Venus Williams showed such staggering resilience, toughness, and determination on Wednesday that it almost didn't matter that she won only one game.

Andrew Eccles, founder of The Spin, joins to discuss Venus' loss to Sara Errani, what it showed us about her, and why he has such love for Errani. We also discuss Hsieh Su-wei's win over Bianca Andreescu, Stan Wawrinka's five-set flameout, and the unsettled vibe of this Australian Open.

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!)

As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.