No Challenges Remaining

Episode 42: Shortly Before La Fin

In this French Open Second Week special, Ben and Courtney catch up on all the happenings in the middle of the French Open, and look forward to the exciting last few matches of the tournament. We also find ourselves on the opposite sides of a few issues that arose. Should the tours do more to stop excessive grunting, after the chorus of shriek-denouncers again arose during the Sharapova-Azarenka semifinal, and are the complaints valid? Should a final set tiebreak be instituted to save the players from marathon fifth sets like the one between Haas and Isner? Then we largely agree on stuff some stuff as we talk about the status of the French Open in the Grand Slam landscape, as well as the culture of Twitter and betting. We also take a few questions, and explain why Ana Ivanovic is a terribly redesigned video game character, why Serena took so long to contend in Paris again, and what a fresh Slam winner could mean to the men's game. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter,and leaving us reviews on iTunes! Nous voulons te voir, dear listeners.

Episode 41: Demi-Paris! (French Open Halfway!)

In this very special midway-through-the-French-Open episode, Ben and Courtney discuss the first week in Paris. The highs, and the lows. What was it like to watch Venus in orbit, even if she burned bright but not for long? What do we make of a section that featured Berdych, Gulbis, and Monfils but yielded Tommy Robredo? And are the Big 4 boring in press, like Gulbis said? We have lots of thoughts, especially about Nadal impassioned irritation over the schedule. We also take questions, such as "Who is the most impressive youngster in Paris?" and "Caroline Wozniacki." Please know that we made our "bold predictions" before play started on Saturday...so yeah. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter,and leaving us reviews on iTunes! You guys are seriously the meilleurest.

Episode 40: French Open Preview Spectacular

In our 40th(!) episode, Ben and Courtney are all about the French Open, wearing berets, eating croissants, and being generally disdainful for no particular reason. We have the same picks to win the title, but we explore how things could possibly go wrong for both him (Rafael Nadal) and her (Serena Williams). Then we do a more thorough breakdown of our entire draws, which is very detailed and features syllables not often uttered on this show, like "Ma-ka-ro-va." Then we debate which first round match we wouldn't take money to watch, because we take the bad with the good. Ola is in love, and we are in love with you, dear listeners. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 39: A Slice of Rome

In this short-but-sweet episode, Ben checks in with Courtney, who is in Rome at the Italian Open this week. Does the tournament still have all its old charm? And what have we learned about the current young crop of players, especially on the men's side? What does this all mean, anyway, when it comes to Paris? And why does the Ukrainian Eurovision singer lady get carried onto the stage by a giant who then disappears? We may not have the answers to all the questions, but we try our best.  As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 38: Laura Robson

In a very special Episode 38, Ben and Courtney discuss what was a huge weekend in tennis. Sloane went at Serena with her words in a revealing ESPN the Magazine interview that made us all afraid to ever unfollow anyone ever again. Then John Tomic (allegedly) went at his son's hitting partner with his head, in a bloodying Madrid throwdown.  Then we talk about the Madrid tournament itself, and if it deserves its status as equal or even above the more established Italian Open in Rome.  Last but very much not least, we chat with phenom Laura Robson about her improbable young career, life in the British spotlight, and her favorite sounds in tennis.  We trust her singing will blow you away, will blow you away-ay. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook and leaving us reviews on iTunes!

Episode 37: Did I Stuttgart?

In this episode, Ben and Courtney wrap the second week on red clay, which saw Maria Sharapova drive off in a Porsche, and Rafael Nadal continue to drive a bulldozer over nearly any clay court opponent.  We then discuss the coming out of NBA veteran Jason Collins, and the state of gays and lesbians in the tennis world. Why haven't more tennis players come out? We have thoughts. We then answer a question about our best/worst interviews, take a couple numbers, and lastly rant about the relentless pursuit of greatness. Ben may not yet be in the Guiness Book of World Records, but you listeners all have the high mark for awesomeness. Thanks for listening, and tell your friends. And leave us reviews on iTunes and "like" us on Facebook. We like that.

Episode 36: Money for Nothing

In this episode of No Challenges Remaining, Ben and Courtney slide into the clay season with all the gracefulness you'd expect. We discuss Novak Djokovic's surprising win over Rafael Nadal that ended his Monte Carlo monopoly.  We also dissect the massive prize money increases that have been awarded to players this year, what impact they will have, and if they were really necessary.  Then we answer a question about awkward presser questions, and finally regale you with rants and raves about our forays into other sporting arenas, with Courtney's Portland soccer paradise and Ben's thoughts on the hockey media culture. And last but not least, we have way too much fun with Star Head Candle. We cheer for you too, dear listeners.

Episode 35: You've Got Questions

On this special all-questions Episode 35, Courtney and Ben try to answer all those tennis questions that have kept you up at night.  Like, for instance, what has propelled Roberta Vinci to the top? Is on-court coaching embarrassing to the WTA or is it simply a case of anti-women's tennis bias? What kind of tweeter has Maria Sharapova turned out to be? And what about golf, which there was a lot of this weekend? Ben and Courtney have a lot of thoughts about golf, and how it relates to tennis. A lot of thoughts. A lot. And then as if to apologize for all the golf, we give you book recommendations with which to fill your tennis shelf. Happy reading later, and happy listening now.

Episode 34: Charleston, Starring Jelena Jankovic

In Episode 34, Ben and Courtney wrap up their time in Charleston, which was more Jankovic-filled than they ever could have been prepared for.  We share with you some of the highlights of her press, and share what it is like to see her hold court off-court.  We also discuss the sister semifinalists Venus and Serena Williams, and give our thoughts on the documentary about the two which was released this week.  We also talk about the many up-and-comers who made their presences known in Charleston, from Madison Keys to Monica Puig, from Genie Bouchard to Mallory Burdette.  Lastly we chat a bit about Davis Cup, where the Americans fell in Potatoland, but the Brits pulled off the greatest sporting triumph in modern history (eyeroll).

Episode 33: Jessica Pegula

In Episode 33, Ben and Courtney are live in Charleston, where the pralines (and subsequently their waistlines) overfloweth.  We catch up on the Miami finals, including that last minor bit called a third set tiebreak that CBS decided not to show in lieu of college basketball.  We also discuss the happenings so far, including Courtney's on-court escapades with the one and only Venus Williams.  We also recount the dramatical WTA insta-classic that was Mattek-Sands d. Rodionova, and how it got the attention of so many other players.  Lastly, we bring you an interview with Jessica "Jessie" Pegula, the 19-year-old daughter of the Buffalo Sabres owner who notched her first two career WTA main draw wins in Charleston this week, beating tough opponents Garbine Muguruza and Mona Barthel. Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea and enjoy.