No Challenges Remaining

After a dozen days that were mostly dull, the Australian Open kicked into high gear on Day 13, and so Ben and Tumaini stayed up late to discuss what made it so great. Carlos Alcaraz was up big, then was in trouble, then was up against the wall, but finally eked out a rousing win over Alexander Zverev to book his spot in his first Australian Open final.  But instead of being joined by his customary opponent Jannik Sinner for the fourth time in a row in a major final, Alcaraz will face 38-year-old Novak Djokovic, who used his restedness to deliver a redline beauty of a match. We look ahead to the final and how Djokovic might be able to win it, where these losses leave both Zverev and Sinner, 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. And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian! 

The women's Australian Open final is now known for this year, and Ben and Tumaini also talk about several other buzzy topics of the day. We start with Aryna Sabalenka and the great win she had, as well as the strange hindrance call, which leads to a grunting rehash. We also discuss Elena Rybakina, and the high-quality second set she had against Pegula. We then take on two other topics of the day: the player backlash against cameras prying into their backstage lives, as well as the increasingly apparent (and rapidly approaching) Serena Williams comeback. 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! 

This Australian Open still hasn't yet had the epics we've been hoping for, but Ben and Tumaini are here to review and preview as hope springs eternal, and as the star-studded quarterfinals make way for the star-studded semifinals. There were a lot of duds in the quarterfinals, it must be said, none duddier than Lorenzo Musetti's brutal injury while commandingly leading Novak Djokovic. We also discuss the greatness of Aryna Sabalenka, and the great play of soon-to-be semifinal opponents Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula. 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! 

The first four rounds of the Australian Open featured historically few upsets--the Top 6 seeds are all still in for both the men and women—and so Ben and Tumaini had lots of big stars to talk about heading into the business end of this tournament. We start with the women: Sabalenka-Jovic, Gauff-Svitolina, Pegula-Anisimova, and Rybakina-Swiatek. And then on the men's side, there's Alcaraz-de Minaur, Zverev-Tien (after Tien demolished Medvedev), Musetti-Djokovic, and Shelton-Sinner. Lastly, Tumaini talks about his cousin being very famous now.  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! 

A relatively drama-lite Australian Open third round sets up a blockbuster fourth round in both draws, and Ben and Tumaini were delighted to look back and look ahead as the year's first major rounds into the second week. We look ahead to the intrigues of matches like Alcaraz-Paul, Bublik-de Minaur, Medvedev-Tien(!!!), Musetti-Fritz, Mensik-Djokovic, Sabalenka-Mboko, Gauff-Muchova, and Pegula-Keys, as well as how all of our second week participants got there. 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! 

It wasn't the newsiest Round 2 at this Australian Open until near the end, and once all the drama had died down Ben and Tumaini got together to discuss the sudden moments at the finish line. While Belinda Bencic exited to talented Czech teen Nikola Bartunkova, Naomi Osaka stayed in the talk with a testy finish against Sorana Cirstea. On the men's side, Stan Wawrinka showed his staying power, winning yet another long match in his long 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! 

With the first round of the Australian Open main draw finally complete, Ben and Tumaini got together to discuss some of the biggest moments and stories. We discussed the women first, starting with Naomi Osaka's big fashion moment (and her interview with Ben), the tournament's failure to supply seats to meet the massive crowd demand for Alexandra Eala, the impressions Oleksandra Oliynykova made on court and in the press room, plus the veterans Venus Williams and Karolina Pliskova. On the men's side, we discussed Frances Tiafoe's turnaround, as well as a bit on Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic, Michael Zheng, and Italian incontinence. 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! 

Back together in Melbourne for one of their favorite occasions in tennis, Ben and Tumaini jumped on the chance to record a show about the second edition of their beloved "1 Point Slam," the pre-Australian Open event which they fell in love with a year ago. We discuss this year's bigger and--often--better event, the strong play by the WTA players in particular, and the surprise finalists. What makes this event so good? And what could be even better? 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! 

In an episode that was already released as a video yesterday for our Patreon backers, Ben and Tumaini kick off Season 15(!) of No Challenges Remaining from opposite sides of the globe. Tumaini talks about the start to the season so far in far-flung Perth, which includes injury issues plaguing Brits at the United Cup.  We then discuss some of the biggest headlines from recent weeks: the Battle of the Sexes debacle, the Alcaraz-Ferrero split, and the news that Serena Williams has reentered the tennis testing pool. 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! 

After coming out last week in video for on the NCR Patreon and Bounces, it's a delight to bring listeners Ben's chat with Mary Carillo on the occasion of her getting voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Ben and Mary discuss Mary's trademark honesty, her committed avoidance of social media, and much more.  Mary's a longtime NCR favorite, and we are very happy for her and delighted to have her Newport-bound. 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 another episode that was already released as a video overnight for our Patreon backers, Ben and Tumaini wrap up what was a very busy Saturday in the world of tennis, including three simultaneous finals. We start with the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where Elena Rybakina won a very high-quality, high-level tournament that still looked small. How is the WTA going in Saudi Arabia after two years? Should they extend their stay there? Read Tumaini's column on the state of the WTA for more. We then discuss the down-to-the-wire (down-to-the-netcord?) drama around the race to Turin, where Novak Djokovic made Lorenzo Musetti and Felix Auger-Aliassime sweat it out until the last possible moment before withdrawing from Turin. Was that fair or foul? We also discuss the newly announced "Battle of the Sexes" between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios, which we both think is a bad idea (but for a different perspective, read Ben's interview with the organizer, Stuart Duguid).  And then for a fun finish, Tumaini waxes lyrical about his love for 1 Point Slam, which is returning in Melbourne next year in a much bigger form. 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! 

In an annual post-marathon tradition, Ben and Ricky Dimon catch up on the world of men's tennis, both recent news and the overall stories of this 2025 season that is nearing its conclusion.  We start with the big news from the ATP, who have announced that a new, 10th Masters 1000 event will be added to the calendar win a few years. With complaints about the schedule rampant, what do we make of the addition of a big tournament that no one was really asking for? And what will the ripple effects on the rest of the calendar and the sport be? We also discuss the field of the WTA Finals, the new location of the Paris Indoors Masters, and hand out some of our own year-end awards: what ATP player had the Most Surprising 2025 (Good) and the Most Surprising 2025 (Bad)? Also, who and when will be the next non-Sinner-nor-Alcaraz Slam winner? 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 Ricky's writing at TennGrand! 

In an episode that was released as a video overnight for our Patreon backers,  Ben and Tumaini catch up on the happenings of the tennis tours in China, including 204th-ranked Valentin Vacherot somehow winning ATP 1000 Shanghai, beating his first cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the title. Is it the most shocking title we can recall? We also discuss Zverev's much-mocked complaints about surfaces being rigged for Sinner and Alcaraz, the stellar seasons US women are having--but which has been best?--the Hall of Fame candidacies of Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova, and an ode to Gael Monfils on the occasion of his retirement announcement. And then for something different, we discussed Tumaini's deep dive into how tennis players feel about their requirement to be woken up to pee in front of strangers. 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 sits down with author Giri Nathan for this episode, to go deep into his new book, Changeover, and the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry at its focus.  This episode was recorded during the U.S. Open, but these two players remain the overwhelmingly obvious story in men's tennis, including this week as Sinner won Beijing while Alcaraz won Tokyo.  We discuss the process of writing this book--which hopefully is particularly interesting to media folks--and also the ways in which Sinner and Alcaraz's dominance might be taking suspense out of the sport right now. Slightly condensed versions of this interview are also up on 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 buy Giri's book!!

Ben and Tumaini, eventually joined by Giri Nathan, discuss the ending of this 2025 U.S. Open, which concluded with Carlos Alcaraz dominating Jannik Sinner in a four-set victory to complete their third major final of the year. How much better is Alcaraz right now in this match-up? And what did Sinner reveal in his press conference during our intermission. We also discuss the elephant in the room for this final: the US Open return of Donald Trump, and the disruption his presence caused on site. We also talk about the women's tournament, which ended with most-improved Aryna Sabalenka defeating an impressive Amanda Anisimova, and also featured a resurgent Naomi Osaka reaching the semifinals.  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! And buy Giri's book!!

Ben and Tumaini check back in after the most-hyped match of this U.S. Open so far, in which Naomi Osaka soundly beat Coco Gauff to make it into her first major quarterfinal in more than four years. We discuss that match as well as the rest of the women's draw, including the Krejcikova-Townsend epic, and then turn to the men, in which Djokovic-Fritz is an intriguing match before what looks like (we think?) a pre-destined Sinner-Alcaraz final. Plus, Tumaini met JoJo!  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! 

It's a whistlestop episode for Ben and Tumaini, who had a train to catch late Friday night at the U.S. Open. We have a lot to catch up on, including the firestorm created by the Townsend-Ostapenko match and why that hit such a cultural nerve, the bizarre mess of a scene at Iga Swiatek's press conference (which the USTA deleted from the record), Altmaier's avoidance of Tsitsipas' drama, chatter around Carlos Alcaraz's hair, Coco Gauff's struggles, Naomi Osaka sparkling, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper's injuries, the visibility of gambling on site, and a bit 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! 

Scuttling previous plans, Ben and Tumaini are together once more for a bit of an emergency episode on the wild shitshow which Daniil Medvedev delivered on Sunday at the US Open, exacerbating a long delay when down match point to Benjamin Bonzi which dramatically turned the match, only for Bonzi to win in five. We discuss the surreal scenes, the mistakes made by pretty much every party involved, how single-official matches just aren't working in tennis, and more of the fallout, including Medvedev's press conference (we recorded this episode before Bonzi came in).  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! 

Reuniting where they first met 15 years ago, Ben is delighted to have Courtney back on NCR once more for this episode, catching up on what's happened for her this year and what she currently has in the works as she rejoined the tour this month. We discuss the end of Courtney's time at the WTA, what she's been doing in the months since, and how she got started with the new project she's been working on: a revival or reinvention of Forty Deuce. Related to what used to be and what is, we also talk a lot about how the media landscapes in which we operate have shifted since we first met, what's been lost over time, and what we hope can be rebuilt. And speaking of rebuilding, we also marvel at the radically renovated Cincinnati Open, which pulled off a stunning transformation since last year. 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 Courtney's work at Forty Deuce!

Ben is joined by Ava Wallace of The Washington Post to discuss their hometown tournament in DC, and how this place still manages to charm and shine as a uniquely accessible and diverse place on tour despite the challenges of a rusting stadium. We discuss the big players this week as well, including the impressive comeback of Venus Williams, local hope Hailey Baptiste, and top American men Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz. 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 Ava's work at The Washington Post!