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...
Aug 15, 2025•55 min•Ep. 400
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 ...
Jul 27, 2025•32 min•Ep. 399
Ben and Tumaini are joined for their Wimbledon finals show by Giri Nathan , who literally wrote the book on the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry that featured its latest chapter in the Wimbledon final. Before discussing Sinner and Alcaraz and their continuing takeover—and Sinner finally getting another win in his column—we start with the women's final, in which Iga Swiatek blanked Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. What do we make of Swiatek's dominance? Also, which of Swiatek, Alcaraz, and Sinner will complete t...
Jul 17, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 398
Ben and Tumaini , on the mic once more together, recap the business end of Wimbledon, where one final is already set on the women's side and two blockbuster semifinals are set for the men. We start with the women's side, on which Amanda Anisimova is making her first major final after beating Aryna Sabalenka (who had herself a much more composed press conference this time). We then discuss, to Tumaini's delight, how he was right and Ben was wrong about Swiatek's grass possibilities this season. W...
Jul 10, 2025•42 min•Ep. 397
Ben is joined for the final time during this Wimbledon by Ricky Dimon , to discuss the fourth round matches that were played and how the quarterfinals and beyond are shaping up. We start with the bleakest moment in recent tennis memory, when Grigor Dimitrov was up two sets to none on an injured Jannik Sinner, only to suffer his own sudden acute pectoral injury and be forced to retire mid-match for the fifth major tournament in a row. We then discuss Sinner's not-great health outlook as well, and...
Jul 07, 2025•31 min•Ep. 396
Ben is back with Ricky Dimon to discuss a third round at Wimbledon that was much less tumultuous than the previous two rounds, and the second week outlook for the tournament that it set up. On the women's side, is it Sabalenka or the field? And is the men's side still looking like likely chalk of Sinner-Djokovic and Fritz-Alcaraz 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...
Jul 05, 2025•37 min•Ep. 395
Ben is joined once more by Ricky Dimon to catch up on the further upsets in the second round of Wimbledon after the carnage in the opening round, and to set up third round clashes. We start with Jack Draper, the local hope who was bundled out by 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic. We then wrap up the rest of the men, including exits for Americans Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul, and look for what could be in store the rest of the way if upsets subside. We then turn to the women, who lost last year's final...
Jul 03, 2025•27 min•Ep. 394
After an unexpectedly tumultuous two days at Wimbledon, Ben is joined by Ricky Dimon to discuss the record number of upsets from the first round of Wimbledon, in which 23 seeds lost their first match, including some big names. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and more were all sent packing in various ways, and we discuss the short and long term fallouts. Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we ho...
Jul 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 393
Something different and pretty cool this time: 50 years ago at Wimbledon, the two singles champions were two of the biggest pioneers in tennis history: Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe. It was also the first of many Wimbledons covered by then-young Canadian tennis journalist Tom Tebbutt , and he made a radio documentary for the CBC of a remarkable breadth of voices from around the tournament, from the stars to the various margins. Tom revisited and revamped the documentary this year for the 50th...
Jun 23, 2025•42 min•Ep. 392
[Reuploaded to fix what was an incomplete file on some podcast platforms the last time!] Ben and Tumaini , on the mic one last time from their house in Paris, are fresh off two thrilling finals at Roland Garros. We start with the just-ended men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which produced some of the best tennis ever seen after a five-hour mark. What made this match so good? And was it too long or just right? We then get to the women's final, in which Coco Gauff won with her ...
Jun 09, 2025•51 min•Ep. 391
Ben and Tumaini , on the mic one last time from their house in Paris, are fresh off two thrilling finals at Roland Garros. We start with the just-ended men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which produced some of the best tennis ever seen after a five-hour mark. What made this match so good? And was it too long or just right? We then get to the women's final, in which Coco Gauff won with her immense mentality and physicality, and in which Aryna Sabalenka turned into a human salt ...
Jun 09, 2025•51 min•Ep. 390
Ben and Tumaini , together again, are back to wrap up the quarterfinals and look ahead to the semifinals for both the men and women at Roland Garros. We start with the women, where a too-close-to-call Sabalenka-Swiatek semifinal is set, and super-surprise Lois Boisson might just be playing well enough to keep her strong form going against Coco Gauff? We then shift to the men, where a Sinner-Alcaraz collision course seems likely, and in which Novak Djokovic defeated another similar effort from Al...
Jun 05, 2025•40 min•Ep. 389
Ben and Tumaini , fresh off their collaboration on Ben's Victor Barber interview , catch up on everything in the first four rounds of Roland Garros. We start with the big results of the day--Bublik d. Draper and Boisson d. Pegula--and then discuss the scheduling and the morass of night sessions. We then check in on the various shortlist contenders--Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff--and end with some chat on Nadal's retirement ceremony and PSG's big celebrations here. Thank you for list...
Jun 03, 2025•44 min•Ep. 388
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 dra...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 387
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...
May 20, 2025•36 min•Ep. 386
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,...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 385
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...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 384
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 pr...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 383
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 int...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 382
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 Jac...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 381
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 ye...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 380
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 ...
Jan 26, 2025•59 min•Ep. 379
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 Swiat...
Jan 24, 2025•46 min•Ep. 378
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...
Jan 22, 2025•41 min•Ep. 377
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 ...
Jan 21, 2025•38 min•Ep. 376
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...
Jan 16, 2025•25 min•Ep. 375
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...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 374
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 foo...
Jan 05, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 373
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 hi...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 372
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...
Nov 22, 2024•40 min•Ep. 371
