No Challenges Remaining

Episode 373e: Wimbledon Finals Preview

Ben and Tumaini reunite now that the Wimbledon finals are set, to discuss the unexpected women's final between Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini, and the far more predictable rematch of last year's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

We discuss the great women's semifinals, including Paolini's epic battle against Vekic, and how Krejcikova is proving herself to be a generational talent.

On the men's side, we discuss Medvedev's near-default, and the disparate styles of locking in that Alcaraz and Djokovic both use with such success in best-of-five.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Episode 373d: Wimbledon Quarterfinals Preview

Ben and Tumaini start this mid-tournament show with a catch up on the fourth round action, which included some crowd combativeness in victory from Novak Djokovic, some complaining and collapsing from Zverev, and some painful injuries on the grass.

We look ahead to the quarterfinals with special focus on the surprise runs of Emma Navarro, Lulu Sun, Barbora Krejcikova, and Taylor Fritz, and Tumaini also weighs in on the Raducanu/Murray mixed doubles mess.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Episode 373c: Wimbledon - Astonishing, Vanishing Doubles

Ben is joined by James Gray of The i newspaper, inews.co.uk, and Tennis Unfiltered to discuss Saturday's big upset and some doubles drama causing buzz around Wimbledon.

We discuss #1 Iga Swiatek getting hammered in the second and third sets by Yulia Putintseva as the crowd turned on her in the middle, but we start with the big British news of the day (in a busy time for British news generally), which was Emma Raducanu pulling the plug on Andy Murray's Wimbledon career by withdrawing from their mixed doubles match. What are the reactions to this news which Andy's mother Judy Murray called "astonishing"? 

We also discuss James' recent reporting on anger in doubles ranks about the ATP limiting opportunities for doubles specialists to enter tournaments, and what the path forward for doubles might be, both as a source of employment and entertainment.

Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Episode 373b: Wimbledon Early Rounds - Favorites, Farewells, and Clowns

Ben is joined by Ricky Dimon to discuss the first week of Wimbledon so far, which has been mostly pretty straightforward on the men's and women's sides.

We discuss the biggest scare a men's favorite has had so far, when Alcaraz needed five sets to beat Tiafoe, as well as Sinner's battle past Berrettini and Djokovic's tricky road ahead.

We also discuss the strong form of Emma Navarro, and the wide-open women's bottom half that includes a path for Emma Raducanu.

We also discuss the big retirement sendoff Wimbledon gave Andy Murray, a ceremony which was very different from traditional Wimbledon fare.

Thanks for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Episode 373a: Wimbledon Round 1 - A Winter of Discontent

Ben is joined by L'Equipe's Quentin Moynet to discuss one of the most striking players at this year's Wimbledon, Maxime Janvier, who has stood out for his uniquely bleak outlook on tennis, even in victory.

We get into Janvier's remarkably open cynicism, his mid-match explanations about money, class divides throughout the tennis rankings, and how his remarks have been received within tennis circles.

Ben and Quentin also discuss the player whom Janvier beat in the final round of qualifying, young French rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who scored an upset win over Sebastian Korda today as a lucky loser.

Also, our Patreon is back up and running as of this week, so we have lots of backers to thank, and we hope you can also join them in supporting the show! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Episode 372b: Wimbledon 2024 Draw Preview - Men

Ben and Tumaini continue their conversation into the men's draw, where Jannik Sinner is the top seed for the first time at a Slam, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz looms in his half, and grass specialists like Matteo Berrettini loom large.

We take several deep dives along the way into scheduling and health issues, first discussing the women and men who decided to skip the Olympics and why they might regret it. Tumaini then regales us with Andy Murray's full saga leading up to what he's confirmed will be his last Slam, and then we close with a look at Novak Djokovic's rapid return from surgery on his torn meniscus. 

Thanks for listening to our preview episodes! If you're enjoying our Wimbledon content, please consider backing NCR on our Patreon page, which gets back into gear on the first day of the tournament! 

Episode 372a: Wimbledon 2024 Draw Preview - Women

Ben and Tumaini spent a long time discussing the Wimbledon draws just hours after they came out, and are splitting the preview episode into two parts for your convenience.

First up are the women, where top seed Iga Swiatek has question marks on grass, where Parks-Wozniacki is one of the most intriguing first round matches (and listen to the discussed Black Spin Global interview with Parks' coach here), and where lots of other possible pivot points exist in understanding how this all might unfold.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for supporting NCR on our renewed Patreon crowdfunding efforts! Our men's show will be to you shortly! 

Episode 371: The Grass Specialty, With Barbora Strycova

Ben is joined on this episode by Barbora Strycova, a titan on grass courts over the last decade before her retirement, to talk about the secrets to success on this unique surface which takes up just about a month on the tennis calendar.

We discuss what works on grass, her memories of deep runs at Wimbledon, winning with Hsieh Su-wei, beating a Brit on Centre Court, facing Serena, and more.

Hope you enjoy! NCR's Patreon is back up and running soon and we'd love to have your support there!

Episode 370: Inside Zverev's Trial - "The Truth Remains Open"

Ben is joined by Jonathan Crane, who covered the recent criminal trial of Alexander Zverev in Berlin for DW, to discuss the proceedings he covered before and during the French Open and the conclusion they reached last Friday.

We discuss how the case reached this point, the atmosphere inside the court room, and the ultimate resolution they reached in which Zverev made settlements with both his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea and the court itself.

We also discuss Zverev's misleading claims of proven innocence, how the ATP failed to face this issue, and what justice can mean in cases like this.

Thanks for listening! The NCR Patreon is back up and running if you would be up for showing your support for the show that way, we'd appreciate it! 

Episode 369e: Swiatek, Alcaraz Lead Their Generations - 2024 French Open Finals

Ben and Tumaini wrap up their coverage of this French Open with a look at the generation-leading champions who won it, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz.

Swiatek, who won her fifth Slam, has established herself as the best player in many generations, drawing comparisons to stars like Justine Henin with her fourth win in Paris. What can she do to play as well at the other Slams?

On the men's side, how did Carlos Alcaraz survive hot and cold streaks to be cool under pressure to finish off his third Slam?

Also, how did the 90s-born players get so totally left behind in men's tennis?

Housekeeping note: As mentioned at the end of this show, we are resuming the NCR Patreon! If you were an existing patron who hasn't unsubscribed, you will be included when it boots back up. If you aren't and want to support the show at any number of various levels, please do sign up, we really appreciate it!