Episodes
Monday Aug 02, 2021
Episode 307: Tokyo Takes a Toll (With Tumaini Carayol)
Monday Aug 02, 2021
Monday Aug 02, 2021
Our guy Tumaini Carayol joins from Tokyo, where he's covering the Olympics for The Guardian, for a discussion of the happenings in tennis and elsewhere at the Games.
What happened to Novak Djokovic, who was cruising toward a Golden Slam before suddenly crashing out with three defeats and a withdrawal in a nightmare 36 hour stretch? And how did Pablo Carreno Busta become the breakout achiever of the Olympic singles? And how about the big surprises in some doubles draws?
We also discuss Naomi Osaka, and the parallels between her, Simone Biles, and Serena Williams, and what happens to athletes when they're hyped as inevitably flawless queens.
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!)
Friday Jul 30, 2021
Episode 306: Checking Back in in the Capital
Friday Jul 30, 2021
Friday Jul 30, 2021
As the Olympic results surprise on the other side of the globe, we take a moment to check back in more locally on the tennis scene stateside, where the Citi Open in Washington is set to begin this weekend with Rafael Nadal as a surprise headliner.
Tournament owner Mark Ein, who was a three-time guest on NCR last year as he discussed the uncertainty of having an event in the flux of the pandemic, joins to talk about the challenges and opportunities this year, and what it takes to get a tournament back up and running after missing a year.
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 Jul 22, 2021
Episode 305: Ringing in the Olympic Tennis Draws (With Alex Gruskin)
Thursday Jul 22, 2021
Thursday Jul 22, 2021
The Olympics are on the horizon at last in the Land of the Rising Sun, and so Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets to break down the women's and men's singles draws for the fast-approaching Tokyo tennis turn-up.
On the women's side, is Ash Barty ready to be seen as a dominant clear favorite in women's tennis yet? Or could other surging players like Barbora Krejcikova or Aryna Sabalenka stop her before the final? And what should we expect from Naomi Osaka's return to competition under this intense spotlight?
On the men's side, can anyone stop Novak Djokovic but himself? And is it actually a sneakily straightforward time in the rest of men's tennis as well?
(We also did a companion Olympic episode of sorts to this over on Great Shot Pod, talking about more big picture Olympic tennis concerns.)
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!)
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Episode 304: Barty, Djokovic Win Wimbledon; Olympic Exodus
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Back stateside, Ben reconnects with Courtney to discuss the Wimbledon finals, which saw Ash Barty win her 2nd and Novak Djokovic win his 20th.
On Barty, what does her win say about the current conversation around mental health? And on Djokovic, is he destined to win a Calendar Golden Slam?
Also bits on Pliskova, Berrettini, and our thoughts on the increasingly large numbers of top players opting out of the Olympics (we don't love it!)
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!)
Friday Jul 09, 2021
Episode 303d: Wimbledon's Second Week, With Tumaini Carayol
Friday Jul 09, 2021
Friday Jul 09, 2021
On the eve of the finals, Ben and Tumaini Carayol catch up on the second week that was at Wimbledon, which has set up two pretty strong finals: Djokovic-Berrettini and Barty-Pliskova.
Plenty else happened along the way to those showdowns, of course, so we discuss men's happenings including Federer's dramatic fade against Hurkacz, Felix Auger-Aliassime's strong showing, and the wackadoodle fifth set of Korda-Khachanov.
On the women's side we discuss things like Aryna Sabalenka breaking her Slam duck, Ons Jabeur's magnificence, the attention on Emma Raducanu, and the prime scheduling of Coco Gauff.
It may or may not be coming home, but we're very happy you're listening wherever you live!
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 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, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Episode 303c: Wimbledon, on the Last Middle Sunday
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Sunday Jul 04, 2021
Ben and Courtney convene for the last of what has been a tradition: a Middle Sunday episode from Wimbledon. What do we make of this tradition being phased out?
And how about this first week at Wimbledon, which seemed to have found its footing as a great tournament after some early slips? We discuss our favorite moments so far, and how both the men and women are set up for the second week.
Also, Courtney prepares for her adventures in ghostbustin' as she tries to pick Casper Ruud out of a lineup...check that out over on our Patreon.
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, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)
Saturday Jun 26, 2021
Episode 302: Quiet, Please - Wimbledon 2021 Draw
Saturday Jun 26, 2021
Saturday Jun 26, 2021
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!)
Saturday Jun 12, 2021
Episode 301h: French Open Day 14: Barbora Krejcikova Breaks In
Saturday Jun 12, 2021
Saturday Jun 12, 2021
Barbora Krejcikova prevailed over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Saturday's unlikely French Open final, and Ben and Courtney are here to talk about what it all means.
How was Krejcikova able to win this match? What does her win tell us about what it takes to win a Slam? What questions do we still have about her and her game? What does this win mean for the tour going forward? And what about that unusually long and casual trophy ceremony?
Also, Courtney has some quick lingering thoughts on Novak Djokovic.
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 French Open! 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 Jun 10, 2021
Episode 301e: French Open Day 12: Speaking Greek Tennis (With Vicky Georgatou)
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Greece is the word at the 2021 French Open, with two semifinalists in Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Sakkari lost in an epic semifinal on Thursday against Barbora Krejcikova (who plays Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final), while Tsitsipas hopes to make his first Slam final with a win on Friday.
To discuss the Greeks, we are joined with the Athena of tennis media, Vicky Georgatou, who is manning the Argo of Greek tennis coverage all by herself at Roland Garros. What was the key to Sakkari's run? How is Tsitsipas' quirky personality received in Greece? And what does the growth of the sport do for tennis in Greece?
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 French Open! 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!)
Monday Jun 07, 2021
Episode 301b: French Open Day 9: Quarterfinal Previews and Such
Monday Jun 07, 2021
Monday Jun 07, 2021
Ben and Courtney reconvene to discuss the eight women and eight men left standing after four rounds at Roland Garros, and how things might play out from here.
We start with Andy Murray fave Iga Swiatek, the last to book her spot, who is becoming an increasingly prohibitive favorite. How will she handle that role? And what of the other women in the top draw who can trouble her? And how might things shake out on the more open bottom half?
In the men's draw, after Courtney weighs in on Federer's withdrawal, we give some props to Diego Schwartzman and then dive into the weird Musetti-Djokovic, which was thrilling and close and then immediately stopped being either of those things on a dime. Also some hopes for Tsitsipas-Medvedev and how we talk about that other quarterfinalist.
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 French Open! 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!)