A quick hit from a largely quiet Day 3 of the Australian Open sees Ben and Courtney discussing the moments in a late press conference of Novak Djokovic, when he was confronted with a report in an Italian newspaper that accuses him of not trying his hardest to win once in 2007. Even if the accusation is true, does it mean anything? We have our doubts. And it has nothing to do, almost certainly, with the match fixing stuff that continues to overshadow the tournament. If you were an NCR Kickstarter...
Jan 20, 2016•13 min
In our Australian Open Day 2 episode, Ben and Courtney talk about three upset losses that cropped up on the day: Venus Williams (who you won't hear from, as she bailed on press again), Rafael Nadal (who was optimistic overall in the face of getting blown away by power with increasing frequency), and Simona Halep, whose loss to Zhang Shuai (who you hear from) revealed an incredibly emotional, humanizing moment for tennis. Seriously, it was pretty cool. Oh, and our Kickstarter campaign is over, an...
Jan 19, 2016•33 min
Through your Kickstarter support, we know you wanted more NCR in 2016, so Ben and Courtney are giving you more NCR in 2016! We'll be doing daily(ish) episodes from the 2016 Australian Open, and golly was Day 1 a doozy! After reviewing some results (you'll hear from winners Petra Kvitova and coach Patrick Mouratoglou, as well as losers Sloane Stephens and super sore loser Benoit Paire), we dive into the story that hijacked the day: the BBC/Buzzfeed reports on match fixing and Tennis Integrity Uni...
Jan 18, 2016•41 min
The draws for the 2016 Australian Open are out, and Ben and Courtney are here to be as sage as possible through what are generally two pretty inspiring, even draws. Does Serena face any players who might be able to derail her, maybe as soon as the first round? And what about Victoria Azarenka, who has looked so good so far and seemed to land in an ideal spot? After more chat on the ladies, can anyone even consider the possibility that Novak Djokovic might lose? And is Bernard Tomic's draw really...
Jan 15, 2016•1 hr
After the first week of tennis, Ben and Courtney look around to see how things have started in the 2016 season of tennis. As carnage accumulates, things sure look good for Brisbane champions Victoria Azarenka and Milos Raonic, don't they? You'll hear from both of them (and Azarenka's coach Wim Fissette), as well as runner-up Roger Federer. Elsewhere, gosh was Novak Djokovic able to do unspeakable things to Rafael Nadal in that Doha final. Has anyone ever been such a clear favorite heading into a...
Jan 12, 2016•58 min
It's our Season 5 premiere! Ben and Courtney are back together in person for the first time since the U.S. Open, and they're ready to tackle the 2016 season. But are any of the top WTA players? With injuries to three of the top-five already, it sure doesn't seem like it. But one player who does seem ready is Victoria Azarenka (9min40sec), who you'll hear from at her first Brisbane press conference. After a reflection on t he demise of BerdycH&M (17min), we're delighted to be joined by one of...
Jan 05, 2016•53 min
In their 2015 season finale, Ben and Courtney look back at the year that was in tennis. After discussing the retirement and legacy of Robin Soderling this past week, we flip through back the calendar to piece together the year that was through a chronological game of #RememberWhen. From Serena ordering coffee on court to champagne nearly de-eyeing Novak Djokovic, it was a year whimsy and wild moments that quenched our thirst all year long. Tweet us your own #RememberWhen moments to @NCR_Tennis !...
Dec 30, 2015•2 hr 17 min
As they deck the halls, Ben and Courtney fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la over Roger Federer's 2016 schedule, which throws out the mold and the clay. Should more players follow his lead and pick and choose more selectively from the all-you-can-eat buffet that is the tennis calendar? Then, we wrap and stick under the tree what you've all been asking NCR Santa for: Take a Number, and lots of it. After a few rounds of lucky numbers, we then soup it up and hold our second annual Secret Santa for the ATP a...
Dec 23, 2015•1 hr 52 min
Who better than 1996 gold medalist Lindsay Davenport to join Ben and Courtney to talk about the Olympics? Well, Lindsay is awesome on anything and everything, but for this Olympics-themed episode as we're on the eve of an Olympic year, Lindsay shares her memories from her various Olympic efforts, her thoughts on how the Olympics have grown in stature within tennis, and the show-and-tell duties that they never tell you about when you're on the podium. Ben and Courtney also discuss various other O...
Dec 16, 2015•1 hr 26 min
In a rare emergency episode that is for an indisputably positive reason (neigh-sayers aside), Ben and Courtney discuss Serena Williams being honored by Sports Illustrated as their Sportsperson of the Year for 2015 , becoming the first woman to win the award outright in over 30 years, and the first tennis player in over 20 years. To discuss how Serena clinched the honor, we're joined by Sports Illustrated's executive editor Jon Wertheim (host of SI's reinvigorated tennis podcast Beyond the Baseli...
Dec 14, 2015•35 min
As the off-season starts to get comfortable (and shorter, sadly), Ben and Courtney dive into the mailbag once again to discuss a whole bushel of topics. Is IPTL worth paying attention to for tennis fans? And is it a good proposition for the players who play it, including the lethargic Serena Williams? We also discuss our Hall of Fame ballots, and the legacies of nominees Justine Henin, Marat Safin, and Helena Sukova. Also in questions, we discuss what fair 2016 expectations are for Serena and Dj...
Dec 09, 2015•1 hr 18 min
As Ben and Courtney finally exhale upon the long-awaited arrival of the off-season, they're left breathless on the topic of Andy Murray, who won the Davis Cup for Great Britain in one of the most impressive solo efforts ever in the competition. Ben is joined by Scottish tennis writer Stuart Fraser of the Mail Online to discuss his land's native hero and his most recent heroics, as well as the surprising timing of the latest round of criticisms of British tennis that has followed in the wake of o...
Dec 02, 2015•1 hr 24 min
With the ATP regular season at last coming to a close, Ben and Courtney step back and bask in the luminous 2015 campaign of Novak Djokovic. Just what made him so dominant, and how does his year measure up to (or surpass) previous great years of his and others? With no one else coming close right now, how do we assess Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in London, as well as beard and towel intrigues? And why does Stan Wawrinka always seem to get a free pass from critics? Then, we shift gears to talk ...
Nov 25, 2015•1 hr 38 min
Both back in America, Ben and Courtney tee up the homestretch of this 2015 season, in which Maria Sharapova fell short through no fault of her own in the Fed Cup final, Novak Djokovic continues to cruise, and things are tasting stale in London. Why is it that this time of Djokovic's dominance has been received less warmly than Federer's dominance? Does the ATP need to move the World Tour Finals out of London to get out of a rut? Does Novak Djokovic's great fall make us reconsider if he had a bet...
Nov 18, 2015•1 hr 23 min
After her long sojourn up and down Asia, Courtney gets a much deserved week off, leaving Ben to drive 100-something miles to find someone to talk to, and winds up in an adventure in Challengerland. At the $50,000 challenger in Charlottesville, Virginia, Ben talks to four(!) guests to give y'all a panoramic view of this world and the people who make it up. First is Mike Cation , the voice of the USTA Pro Circuit, who is more embedded than commentator in tennis. Next is Challenger circuit veteran ...
Nov 11, 2015•1 hr 47 min
As they continue travel schedules that are normally only maintained by Carmen Sandiego characters, Ben and Courtney reconvene from Charlottesville and Zhuhai, respectively, to discuss the happenings of the week in tennis. And what it week it was! Losers got lucky in Singapore, then got good, as Agnieszka Radwanska claimed her biggest career title in unlikely fashion. What does her win say about her, and about the round-robin redemption format? Then, in Switzerland, Roger Federer improved to 5-1 ...
Nov 04, 2015•40 min
With the WTA Finals underway, Ben chats up our Singapore correspondant, Courtney, to talk about how the tournament is shaping up. How very impressive is Sharapova's ability to make successful comebacks time and time again? Is this a glimpse at a post-Serena world? And what of the bigger emphasis on doubles, including the new fan favorite Chan sisters? Speaking of doubles siblings, what does it mean for the Bryans to lose the top ranking? And in men's singles, why was Nadal-Rosol's resumption of ...
Oct 28, 2015•1 hr 12 min
Again a world apart, Ben and Courtney bridge a 12-hour time difference to come together for this episode, in which they discuss the yawniness of Shanghai and Novak Djokovic's invincibility, but then rally to Djokovic's defense when it comes to his snub from the ATP Sportsmanship Award Ballot. Just who do Ben and Courtney think should be considered for that award, as well as the other ATP votes? Then, more excitingly, Ben chats with Jiří Fencl, the coach of Lucie Hradecka, who discusses the life ...
Oct 21, 2015•1 hr 36 min
Despite the ocean between them, Ben and Courtney finally reunite (from Boston and Tokyo, respectively) for this episode, and catch up on the doings in WTAsia as well as dude tennis. What can be gleaned from this free-for-all stretch, which included unlikely surges from players like Garbine Muguruza, Venus Williams, and Jo Konta? And as the Singapore race looks ever more chaotic, did Serena do the "right" thing by withdrawing? On the men's side, where does Rafael Nadal's lopsided loss to Novak Dj...
Oct 14, 2015•55 min
Live from Beijing, China, this episode is Courtney's Speakerboxx to Ben's The Love Below last week. Courtney chats to two guests: first, her wonder-climbing buddy Carole Bouchard, a return NCR guest who is in China for the first time and discusses her impressions of tennis in the country, and the two discuss the schedule issues so often discussed at this time of year. Then, Courtney welcomes Peter Chorba, who is the senior business development manager for the China Open, to discuss sponsor liais...
Oct 07, 2015•1 hr 19 min
With Ben and Courtney an ocean apart, this week we bring you a special interview from earlier this year, in which Ben sat down with tennis investigative journalist and author Michael Mewshaw to talk about the unsavory sides of tennis which he uncovered in working on his explosive books Short Circuit and Ladies of the Court . Decades after the books came out, many of the same issues still linger. From conflicts of interests to match fixing to drugs, Michael pulls lots of pins out of grenades here...
Sep 30, 2015•38 min
As the dust settles from the U.S. Open, Ben and Courtney sift through current developments in tennis to find what really matters. How does the devaluation of Davis Cup reflect on the dwindling importance of nationalism in tennis? Should Andy Murray skip the World Tour Finals in order to play the final in Belgium? What should Stacey Allaster's WTA reign be remembered for? And how should Serena Williams and the rest of the women approach the remainder of the season, including the new Zhuhai event?...
Sep 23, 2015•1 hr 9 min
After the last Grand Slam event of 2015 has come to a close, and so did Serena Williams' bid for a historic sweep, losing in the semifinals to Roberta Vinci. And so, Ben and Courtney discuss the stunning defeat, where Serena stands now, and why her humanity has always made her so compelling. Also, Flavia Pennetta won the U.S. Open! Weird! On the men's side, Roger Federer's bid popular support couldn't get him across the finish line against Novak Djokovic, much to the dismay of 23,000+. Also, Gen...
Sep 15, 2015•57 min
Live from under the new partially finished roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Ben and Courtney are here to break down the 2015 U.S. Open draws. And, of course, this tournament begins and ends with Serena. How does her road look? Who poses the biggest threats? And is it fair to keep making her into something that transcends tennis and bears a larger societal responsibility? By the way, who *can't* come out of that bottom half? Also, who will come out of this strangely second-fiddle men's event? Djokovi...
Aug 29, 2015•51 min
In an annual tradition, Ben and Courtney come to you live from the asphalt for the post-Cincinnati show! But instead of an Interstate in Maryland, this time they're broadcasting from a strip mall parking lot in Mason, Ohio. Same difference? Anyhow, you know what's different? Roger Federer's returning! That was cool. Also, who the heck can beat Serena? And does it mean it's a weak era if no one can? As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook , following us on Twitter , and subscribing/reviewing ...
Aug 25, 2015•46 min
In Episode 119, Ben and Courtney bring NCR to the people! With the help of the good folks at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio, Ben and Courtney fire up the recorder to do a live show in front of an actual audience of people! We answer questions ranging from all things Nick Kyrgios to various tennis hypotheticals. And the super duper bonus? The one and only Victoria Azarenka joins us amongst the people for a fun chat about the current state of her career, how the fans have helped he...
Aug 19, 2015•44 min
*This is a repost following some technical issues earlier causing a silent start...all good now!* In their first "emergency episode" of the year, Ben and Courtney jump back into the booth to discuss the controversy caused by Nick Kyrgios in his win over Stan Wawrinka, with, um, unexpected and indelicate comments about …Thanasi Kokkinakis' sex life? It was strange, and not good, and we're here to talk about the origins of it and what the repercussions should be. Does the ATP need to set a tone an...
Aug 14, 2015•35 min
In Episode 118, Ben and Courtney recap the weeks that were in their local tournaments in Washington D.C. and Stanford, argue about on-court coaching, and assess the successful weeks from Angelique Kerber and Sloane Stephens. Aren't they both playing some of the best tennis of their careers? We think so! Does it matter? We're not entirely sure? Episode 118 wraps up with a lengthy chat with Anne Worcester, tournament director of the Connecticut Open. Have you ever wondered why being a tournament d...
Aug 12, 2015•1 hr 9 min
In this very special episode , Ben and Courtney talk about the small news of the summer (Rafa winning on clay, Serena choosing caution yet again) and then launch into a deep segment with our gal Colette Lewis of Zoo Tennis to discuss all things junior tennis as Kalamazoo hosts the most anticipated US Boys Nationals in generations. With junior tennis, you take the good, you take the bad...and you decide how much credit the federation deserves. Also, Courtney really likes a movie and Ben worries i...
Aug 04, 2015•1 hr 35 min
On the cusp of another long plunge into the blue and green waters of the summer hard court season, Ben and Courtney answer more listener questions! How much should tours be trying to promote players who aren't the stars? What do we make of Tennis Forum? Which player's past success is the most #huh? #thathappened? Also, lots more! Then, by popular demand, we take a number! And then Courtney rants about throwing bones at skulls and Ben goes off the grid ever so briefly. As always, thanks for likin...
Jul 29, 2015•1 hr 27 min
