No Challenges Remaining

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!

In an annual tradition, Ben and Ricky Dimon convene the day after the Marine Corps Marathon to discuss the year in men's tennis. This year the top line story is pretty clear: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dividing and conquering the calendar, claiming the tour for their generation. Which one of them had a better year? And how much of a shadow (or a doubt?) does Sinner's positive test morass cast over his stellar year? We also discuss the generation of 90s-born guys getting passed by, Djokovic hanging on, and young guys like Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard who have arrived in a big way. We also salute some of the guys saying goodbye, including Dominic Thiem (much more on him soon). 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!  

Rafael Nadal, one of the all-time greats who we have been lucky to watch and cover over the past two decades, made his retirement official today. After learning a few days ago that his announcement was imminent, Ben and Tumaini pre-recorded an episode on their reaction to this long-anticipated news. We discuss what led to this decision, share our favorite memories of Nadal from watching him on court and interacting with him off court, and discuss his legacy and how he completely disrupted the game. 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.   

Ben (who formally announces and thanks folks for following along at his new writing home, Bounces!) and Tumaini catch up on the happenings in the Asian swing so far, led by the star-studded results in Beijing that marks changes from New York. On the women's side, Coco Gauff bounced back from a disappointing summer to win her second WTA 1000 title, beating Muchova in the final. Is this a meaningful rebirth for Gauff, or is she still a work in progress? On the men's side, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner produced yet another spectacular duel in the final, adding to what's already the best active rivalry in tennis right now. Plus Swiatek making a coaching change, Fils winning in Tokyo, weekday finals, Wimbledon's expansion win, WADA appealing Sinner's verdict, and 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.  

Ben catches up with Tumaini, who is freshly back from Berlin, about the state of the Laver Cup, which might as well be called the Federer Cup for how it foregrounds the retired superstar. We discuss the relevance, successes, and struggles of the event, and contrast it with Davis Cup, which had a lumpy round of competition in recent weeks to set up for its big final this year later in Spain. Speaking of the tennis calendar, we discuss the age-old complaints about the tennis calendar which were given renewed voice by Carlos Alcaraz (and pushed back on by his rival Jannik Sinner). Then we switch to the women's side, and go in-depth on the huge news of Naomi Osaka hiring Patrick Mouratoglou, a collision of two of the biggest brands in tennis. Will they be a good fit? And how do we judge Mouratoglou's pedigree to this point?  We also discuss Coco Gauff's own coaching change, Sinner hiring Djokovic's ex-team members, and what the future might hold in store for both Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Plus, a little rant on tennis promoters being shady about stars who are unlikely to stay entered in events, and Ben teases a new project!  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.  

Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets for the second half of another home-and-home pair of podcasts looking ahead to the rest of the remaining year (and beyond, a bit) in women's tennis, counting down what we think the biggest stories and questions are. After chatting about men's storylines over on The Mini Break Podcast, we focus on the women's side here, ranking the biggest curiosities and quandaries on what seems like a tour in transition. From Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka making coaching changes, to the tour reestablishing itself in China and finally making its highly anticipated venture into Saudi Arabia, there's lots of stories, big and small, to discuss. 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. 

Ben and Tumaini wrap their U.S. Open coverage with a look at the women's and men's singles finals, in which Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner both completed a sweep of the hardcourt majors this season. The finals were both fairly straightforward, which leaves us for some time to cover related topics and listener questions including the intense celebrification of the U.S. Open (hello, Taylor Swift), Sabalenka's career vs Azarenka's, the shadow of Sinner's anti-doping saga over his win, and Olympics skipping paying off. We also zoom out a bit to discuss the total, generational European domination of men's tennis, and if a man born in the 1990s is ever going to win another Slam.  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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini are back again 24 hours later for a look at the men's side of the second week of this US Open, which has culminated with Jannik Sinner rolling into the final and Taylor Fritz ending a 15-year drought for American men between Slam final appearances. We discuss the messy Sinner-Draper semifinal, the pivotal change that pushed Fritz past Frances Tiafoe, and how Fritz and Sinner might match up in the final. We also talk about the (negative) vibe shift around Sinner after his recent anti-doping cloud, the repeated failures of Alexander Zverev at Slams, the mixed feelings of Medvedev, and the various other players who couldn't pounce on this open opportunity. 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini cover the second week of the US Open on the women's side, which is now set to reach its dramatic conclusion in a final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula.  We discuss the two high-quality semifinals that set up these wins, what has made Sabalenka develop into such a better player than the version of her we first saw, and Pegula's long-awaited breakthrough. We also discuss Pegula's win over Swiatek, the debated off-court moments of Swiatek's during and after the match, and the struggleful defeat of Coco Gauff.  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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini chat through all the big stories of the first week of the U.S. Open, which kicked into gear with the upsets of two big men's stars. Carlos Alcaraz (to Bob van de Slap!) and Novak Djokovic lost on back-to-back nights, but which was more surprising? We also discuss the crisis expressed in defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas, scheduling, and other issues on the men's side. On the women's side, we discuss the difficulty in assessing Naomi Osaka's year, the thrill of Karolina Muchova, and concerns over Elena Rybakina.  Lastly, Ben thanks everyone for their generosity, and we commemorate the end of the Slam careers of Dominic Thiem and Danielle Collins, and discuss ghosting ceremonies.  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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini wrap up their U.S. Open preview double header with a discussion of the women's field at the 2024 U.S. Open. We discuss topics such as the paths for Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, our relief at news of a coaching change by Elena Rybakina, the reliably broad resonance of Naomi Osaka's vulnerability, frustrations with Emma Raducanu's scheduling, the recent woes of Coco Gauff, and the golden glow-up of Zheng Qinwen. 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini discuss the men's field at the fast approaching U.S. Open, leading off with Jannik Sinner, the man who was the focus of our emergency episode earlier this week. How did he handle the press conference better than the USTA did? And (scattered throughout the rest of the episode) what were the reactions of other players in the draw? We also discuss how contenders like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev are positioned in the draw, the uniquely international flavor of the wildcards at this year's Open, and how the qualifying week ballooning in popularity effects the experience. 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.    

Ben and Tumaini jumped on today for an emergency episode about the stunning news today that ATP #1 Jannik Sinner had tested positive twice earlier this year for the banned substance Clostebol, a revelation that came simultaneous to the announcement that he had been found to bear "no fault or negligence" in the case. We lay out the timeline of Sinner's year, and how this revelation adds depth to what was already a busy stretch in the young champion's life. We discuss what parts of the story about how his physiotherapist transferred the substance via unwashed finger injury we find most and least credible, the ramifications for the sport more widely, and the state of anti-doping in tennis.  Also, a little bit right at the end about the possible curtain call of Venus Ebony Starr Williams.  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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Former WTA No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, still top of the ladder of most honest and direct players in tennis, talks with Ben in this interview episode about the current state of her career and her expectations, and how the tour has changed during her long career. Pliskova discusses the aura that stars like Sharapova and Serena had, how Serena compares to Iga Swiatek on court, what it's been like since her twin sister Kristyna retired, and 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini reunite to discuss all that happened in the Olympic tennis events, and a bit in the wider Olympics as well. We start with the biggest story, which was Novak Djokovic, who has won everything else there is to win in tennis multiple times, finally claiming an elusive gold medal. At 37, with everything complete, could be the right time for him to retire on top? We also discuss his peers Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, and how these Olympics served as farewells for them as well in different ways. We discuss the doubles, and the tension between favoring singles guys over doubles specialists, the surprisingly spicy flameouts of the American women, the triumph of Zheng Qinwen over Iga Swiatek and then winning gold, and the romcom-ready magic of mixed doubles. We also discuss the Olympics more widely and where tennis fits in, and how this event affirms tennis' place on the top tier of the sporting world.  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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.

Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets to preview the 2024 Olympic tennis event starting this weekend in Paris at Roland Garros, a quirky quadrennial event. Can Iga Swiatek handle the pressure of the occasion? Can Barbora Krejcikova sustain her momentum from Wimbledon? And what does Coco Gauff need to do to reverse her fortunes against Swiatek? We also discuss the women's doubles, where Gauff might have a better shot at gold, and the mixed draw, which is jam-packed with unique meetings like Errani-Medvedev. This is a home-and-home series joint podcast, so this episode here focuses on the women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles draws, while our episode over on the Cracked Racquets feed focuses on the men's singles and men's doubles.  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.