No Challenges Remaining

Ben and Tumaini (whom Redditors agree has "quietly become the best tennis journalist on the planet") are delighted to have "Episode 400," which is actually the 566th episode of NCR with real counting, coincide with an annual favorite episode title. After a long media day in Paris, we break down the men and then the women. Is anyone there to disrupt a Sinner-Alcaraz final, which would be their first at a Grand Slam event? On the men's side, is Aryna Sabalenka ready to hurdle through a tough draw? And can Iga Swiatek get back on track in time to make major history? Plus pretty much everyone else among the 256 players in these draws. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Forestalling NCR's imminent quatercentenary ever so slightly, Ben and Tumaini turn on the microphone together for the first time in their shared Paris abode, just to wrap up some loose ends from Rome before our big French Open draw show later this week. Tumaini discusses the incredible superstar status of Jannik Sinner, who enraptured the public and put on some dominant performances en route to the final, where he was eventually stopped by Carlos Alcaraz. We also discuss Jasmine Paolini, as well as her mentor Sara Errani, whom we spoke with today at French Open qualifying as she wraps up a memorable singles career. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben is joined by his longtime NYT teammate Christopher Clarey to discuss the release today of his new book, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay, exploring both the prolific 14-time champion at Roland Garros and the dusty red landscape of his triumphs. Topics include: how Nadal's frenetic, obsessive energy shaped Chris's own writing process, Nadal's language proficiencies (or lack thereof), how the media access landscape has changed over the course of his career reporting on Nadal, Nadal's complex relationships with his top rivals, the specter of doping allegations over Nadal's era, how top athletes like Nadal decide when to stop, the archetype of Spanish masculinity Nadal presents and lack of women in his tennis orbit, and more. The book is out today, so do check it out! Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Ben and Tumaini (who can also be watched in a video version of this episode on NCR's Patreon) found a moment to meet up between the end of a wild Madrid and Jannik Sinner's big comeback in Rome. We discuss the post-apocalyptic vibes of Madrid, including a detailed rundown from Tumaini on how he navigated the power outage early in the event. Along with discussing the big runs by Casper Ruud, Jack Draper, and Aryna Sabalenka, we discuss what's up with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek. Then we shift our attention to Rome, where there've been some unideal renovations to some nice Mussolini legacy work, and where Jannik Sinner could pick up right where he left off. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini (who can also be looked at as they talk in a video version of this episode on NCR's Patreon, if you're into that sort of thing) catch up after a few weeks apart at various stops on the tour. We first, though, discuss why odd stories like Harriet Dart complaining about how her opponent smells wind up being the tennis stories that really break through to the mainstream. What can get people talking about tennis? And is it something that the tours with all their millions spent on promotion could capitalize on? We then catch up a bit on our respective recent tournament travels and big happenings in the world of tennis since our last episode, including Jakub Mensik winning Miami (and why he's less hyped than other prospects), Carlos Alcaraz getting back on the board in Monte Carlo, Iga Swiatek's prospects of returning to championly ways on clay, and much more. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini reconvene to try to make sense of the big lawsuit filed by the PTPA and a group of lesser-known players against the powers-that-be in tennis, what we make of the organization, and this big swing they're taking after years of not being recognized. What do we make of the PTPA's 163-page laundry list of claims? What points resonate and which don't? And is there an inconsistency between their purported purpose for players and the arguments they're making? (You can also read Ben's interview with PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar.) After spending the first 40 minutes on that, we discuss other topics that have emerged in the past week or so, including Novak Djokovic's image being frequently used by right-wing politicians, the current ATP inconsistency, Emma Raducanu's struggles and resurgence, and Naomi Osaka's trajectory. We end with a melancholy happy trails to author John Feinstein, and lots of love for NCR's dear Courtney. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini are back together again after tennis traveled through the desert of Indian Wells, discussing crowning a new queen teen, a steady Brit, and women's tennis going for a new look. We discuss Mirra Andreeva's success, her improvements, her admirable coach Conchita Martinez, and how her Russia nationality might play into her role as a new star. We also discuss Aryna Sabalenka's saltiness in defeat, and Iga Swiatek's long defense of herself after a semifinal tantrum. We also discuss Jack Draper and his journey (which Tumaini has covered closely), and how he's emerging at a time when other top men are flailing. And lastly we discuss the WTA's rebrand, and what we think should be their priorities going forward. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini reconvene for the first time back in their cold home hemisphere to discuss tennis happenings in February, which involve several complex stories. First, we discussed the late-breaking news of Stefano Vukov receiving a one-year ban from the WTA, and the details that were reported by The Athletic about the WTA's reasons. Is this new proactive approach correct? Second we discuss the retirement announcement of Simona Halep, whose legacy became much more complicated in the last few years. How should her career be remembered? We then cover the many changes happening to the August schedule, including the elongated Canada and Cincinnati events, the US Open's Sunday start, and then mostly the U.S. Open's radical revamp of the mixed doubles event. After some results chats and thank yous, we end with a discussion of Serena at the Super Bowl and our memories of her time with Drake. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini recorded one last show from this lovely trip to Melbourne, discussing the two singles finals. We start with the triumphant, tour-de-force title run by Madison Keys, who was the best version of herself in many ways as she tore through a historically tough draw to win her first major after years of struggling with expectations. What made Keys so impressive? There are many correct answers. Then on the men's side, we discuss Jannik Sinner's demolition of Alexander Zverev, not facing a break point in the entire final, and where Sinner goes from here. We also discuss the protestor who disrupted the trophy ceremony by shouting support for Zverev's ex-girlfriends/accusers (an incident Ben wrote about at Bounces). Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini are together after four singles semifinals are in the books, one of which was an epic and one of which was a short story. We start with the women, where Aryna Sabalenka played perhaps her best match of the tournament so far to beat Paula Badosa, booking a spot in the final against Madison Keys, who played perhaps the best match of her career to beat Iga Swiatek in the other semifinal. (Also, if you're interested solely in the women, FYI we circle back to talk more about Iga Swiatek at the very end of the show.) We then move onto the men, where Jannik Sinner was very solid against Ben Shelton, and Novak Djokovic stopped after just a set, putting Alexander Zverev into the final abruptly and drawing boos. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini are back after another round is in the books at this Australian Open, looking back at the quarterfinals and setting up the semifinal slate. We start with the women, where Coco Gauff suffered a surprising unraveling at the hands of experienced thread-puller Paula Badosa. Badosa will play Aryna Sabalenka, while Madison Keys will face Iga Swiatek in the other semifinal. On the men's side, Novak Djokovic won a thriller against Carlos Alcaraz to book his spot in the semifinal, and Ben Shelton sounded off about the on-court interviews after booking a spot in the other semifinal. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini are checking back in midway through this Australian Open, just as the quarterfinals are about to begin. We break down the women's stories first, including check-ins on top contenders Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek. We also discuss all the fuss over Danielle Collins giving it back to a hostile crowd, Madison Keys' resurgence, and Elina Svitolina's transformation. On the men's side, we discuss the upcoming showdown between Djokovic and Alcaraz, why Djokovic's boycott of Channel Nine was justified, and Jannik Sinner struggling in the heat. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini come to you from the rollicking first week of the Australian Open for a quick catch up on the major stories so far through two rounds here. We discuss Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik's non-shock upset wins, Djokovic and Murray's early returns, Gael Monfils solving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Naomi Osaka's great wins over tough foes, Zheng Qinwen getting rattled against Laura Siegemund, and big wins by Brits Emma Raducanu, Jacob Fearnley, and Jack Draper. As mentioned, there will be a bonus episode up on Patreon soon as well featuring Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini have been working away at the Australian Open in the build-up to the main draw, taking a break to enjoy the sublime "One Point Slam," and writing lots of stuff we think you'll enjoy like Ben's piece on qualifying and interview with Goran Ivanisevic, and Tumaini's inside look at Murray coaching Djokovic and his fun story on cheating in tennis practice. But the Australian Open draws are newly out, and they're our main focus on this episode, as we break down all the big contenders and the fun first round match-ups in Melbourne. Can anyone stop Jannik Sinner? Could Coco Gauff be a favorite over Aryna Sabalenka? All that and more! Enjoy! Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben and Tumaini are back together again in Melbourne, teeing up a season that started earlier than ever before, and a first week that ended with a classic. We discuss the United Cup, which reached a peak in the final with Coco Gauff beating Iga Swiatek, turning what had been a hopelessly lopsided rivalry into an absolute thriller, a shift that could have major ramifications atop women's tennis. We also discuss the rest of the United Cup, a successful event that really seems to have found its footing. We also discuss Naomi Osaka's run to the final in Auckland, which ended in an abrupt injury retirement after winning the first set. We then cover Tumaini's trip to Brisbane, where there was a servebot renaissance and a chatty Novak Djokovic. On a more serious topic, we then cover the WTA confirming the existence of an investigation into Elena Rybakina's controversial coach Stefano Vukov, as reported by The Athletic. What do we know and—what don't we know—about the case at this juncture? Then to end with much more fun, Tumaini takes the "Z" Trivia quiz Ben recently wrote for Bounces. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Ben and Tumaini can't take a break with all the news breaking already in this short tennis offseason, led (so far) by the revelations around Iga Swiatek's positive test and small one-month ban after convincingly proving her melatonin had been contaminated. This is the second doping case right at the top of tennis this year, and there's a lot to discuss in the fallout: the two-tiered track of tennis justice that seems to favor top-ranked players, concerns over cases increasing, and what recent high-profiles have in common and not. We then turn to the unexpected announcement from Novak Djokovic that he's hired Andy Murray to be his next coach. Why does this pairing make sense for each of them, and why do we like it more the more we think about it? Lastly, Tumaini shares final impressions from how Rafael Nadal's career finally wrapped up in Malaga, and why the pageantry at the end left many feeling flat. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Ben and Tumaini got a bunch more questions than fit into our previous episode, so, after an amazing musical prelude by Dan Bern, we answer the remainder of ones we got before recording in this separate episode. We discuss a wide range of topics: Billie Jean King's suggestion that tennis should simply the scoring terminology; padel; ranking points at Challengers; the unpopularity of two-week Masters 1000 events; if Iga Swiatek should play more doubles; unimpressive comments by Ben Shelton and Jon Wertheim; Sara Errani's Hall of Fame candidacy; and the progress toward a possible ATP-WTA merger. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Ben and Tumaini join up once again to discuss the tennis season that is *still* going in mid-November, somehow. We start with Jannik Sinner's dominant run at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he never lost more than four games in any set en route to a title that moved him even further from the pack. How discordant are these magnificent triumphs with the backdrop of his still unresolved anti-doping saga? We also discuss the impressive season put together by finalist Taylor Fritz, express concern over the present and future of Daniil Medvedev, and discuss the ATP reupping for another five years of this event in Italy. We then go to Tumaini's beat in Spain, where he is on the ground in Malaga for Billie Jean King Cup, Davis Cup, and the Rafael Nadal retirement. We recorded this before Nadal played his final match, but you can get a sense of how big the hype was around the city for this occasion. More of your mailbag questions get answered in an upcoming episode! Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Ben and Tumaini reunite for the first time in nearly a month to discuss the inaugural WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at which Coco Gauff won the trophy and a record $4.8 million prize. We discuss Gauff and her resilient resurgence to finish her year on a high, and then we discuss the many conversation points around this event, both the positive and the negative. There's truth to be found on both sides, many various stakeholders with different priorities, and a lot of nuance in how this event can be understood. We then pivot to the men to discuss the field being set in Turin, the final edition of Paris-Bercy, the current state of indoor tennis, and recent Eurovision-arena champs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Jack Draper. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Sometimes, as we've been reminded, life doesn't always turn out how you think it should. In this episode of NCR you'll hear from the recently retired Dominic Thiem via his appearance on a recent episode of the podcast A New Way of Being hosted by Simon Mundie. Simon joins Ben on this episode to expound and annotate on Thiem's journey, and what the lessons he learned might hold for us. We also discuss the unprecedented generational chasm between Thiem's generation and the one that came before, and what smartphone technology might have to do with it. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running 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 and J. O'D. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!