Ben and Courtney wrap up the Australian Open starting with the women's side, in which Sofia Kenin leaves Melbourne as the unexpected champion. How did she fly under the radar for so long? What does her story say about the immigrant experience in tennis? And what can we expect next from her? We also discuss Garbine Muguruza's revival, Ash Barty's coping mechanism, and more from the second week of the Australian Open on the women's side. Men's wrap show out soon! If you'd like to support our show,...
Feb 03, 2020•57 min•Ep. 129
The 2020 Australian Open finals are set, and Ben is joined by longtime friends of the show Nick McCarvel and Matt Trollope to predict who will leave Melbourne with the trophies. The women's final pits Sofia Kenin against Garbine Muguruza, meaning a largely unknown quantity against an often unpredictable one. How will they each handle this occasion? The men's final represents another chance for Dominic Thiem to break through the stranglehold of the Big Three, but he'll need to beat the toughest M...
Jan 31, 2020•26 min•Ep. 128
Ben and Courtney get together at the end of a long week one which really just featured one crazy day. Beginning with the end of Caroline Wozniacki's career and continuing with the upset wins of Wang Qiang over Serena Williams and Coco Gauff over Naomi Osaka, what exactly happened to make Friday so crazy? And what else happened throughout the week, and how does it set up the rest of this tournament? As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with oth...
Jan 25, 2020•59 min•Ep. 127
As we finish Day 3 in Melbourne, you'll hear more about two of the more interesting players to have advanced through two rounds so far, who (somewhat coincidentally, honestly) happen to play each other in the third round. First, you'll hear from 2012 Wimbledon champion Freddie Nielsen (who first guested way back on Episode 32 ) about his compatriot and longtime friend Caroline Wozniacki, who has carried the flag for Denmark in tennis higher than anyone could have imagined it will fly. Then, Ben ...
Jan 22, 2020•32 min•Ep. 126
To make sense of the hazy situation regarding the poor air quality in Melbourne, Ben talks to Dr. Chris Worsham , a pulmonologist at Mass General and Harvard Medical School, about what to know about the possible risks to players and others at the Australian Open. What sort of symptoms can be expected? Who might be most affected? What to make in the disparate messaging from tournament and city officials? And what are safe limits when it comes to the air we breathe, whether we're playing tennis or...
Jan 19, 2020•30 min•Ep. 125
The air in Melbourne can change with the winds, but to get a sense of which directions this tournament is listing towards, Ben is joined by Stuart Fraser of the Times of London to get his sense of what's been happening with the air quality and the tennis so far this month, and what might be happening next. As we gaze through the haze, you'll hear from Stu, from Dalila Jakupovic, and from Craig Tiley. There's controversy, conflict, and confusion. Hopefully the air is clear and the fires subside, ...
Jan 18, 2020•37 min•Ep. 124
Ben and Courtney dive into the first Grand Slam of the 2020s with some Big Decade Energy, breaking down the paths for the top women and men in Melbourne. We start with the women, where Ash Barty is the top seed and hometown hope, and where many contenders clustered in the top half, particularly in the second quarter (Osaka, Serena, and an R1 between Venus and Gauff). On the men's side, we like the paths for the top four, and appreciate the pruning of the plant to inspire new growth. Or something...
Jan 17, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 123
Ben and Courtney wrap up the week that was in Brisbane, where a loaded women's field produced four in-form semifinalists (Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova, Naomi Osaka) who all look to be in great shape for Melbourne. Also, who is currently the best player without a Grand Slam title? We think it's probably a Brisbane finalist, and we discuss. We then shift to Serena Williams, who won her first title in three years in Auckland. The field there wasn't the toughest, but Serena still i...
Jan 12, 2020•43 min•Ep. 122
As the week winds on in Brisbane, we first hear from one of the players already affected by the fires: Liam Broady , who had to reroute after traveling to Canberra for the challenger there before it was relocated. Then we assess the first ATP Cup, which is now progressing to the knockout stages in Sydney. After thoughts from Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben is joined by reporters Courtney Walsh and Quentin Moynet to discuss the ATP Cup, where it came from, and what we make of its pr...
Jan 09, 2020•50 min•Ep. 121
Kicking off our *NINTH* season, NCR is thrilled to be joined by one of our favorite people on tour, Barbora Strycova. From the grounds of the Brisbane International, Ben and Courtney chat with Barbora about her life in tennis and her unique game, as well as topics ranging from fashion to figure skating. Also, hear why Maria Sharapova was jealous of her when they were teenagers, and how she explains her enigmatic doubles partner Hsieh Su-wei. As Australia has been our home every January for nine ...
Jan 06, 2020•34 min•Ep. 120
Ben and Courtney wrap up the decade with our choices for the 10 most defining players of the 2010s in women's tennis. Tough decisions had to be made! Just counting women with 2+ Slams in the 2010s already gets you to 10, and what fun is that? So to be representative and interesting, we had to make some tough, tough snubs along the way. Agree? Disagree! Please share your own lists! Thank you for joining us all decade long and into 2020! Happy New Year! As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook ...
Dec 24, 2019•2 hr 23 min•Ep. 119
Ben and Courtney wrap up the decade of NCR with our lists of who were the most defining players of the decade, each picking 10 players (10 men, 10 women) who we think best tell the story of the last 10 years in tennis. We start with the men, which was a much more straightforward exercise in some ways, but also still leaves plenty of room for debate. Do you agree with our picks? Share your own top 10 (and an explanation, ideally) with us on social media or email! As always, thanks for liking us o...
Dec 14, 2019•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 118
NCR is delighted to welcome back Lindsay Gibbs , creator of Power Plays , for a wide-ranging discussion of sexism in sports, anchored (obviously in tennis). Ben and Lindsay start with the massive symbolic importance of the mega millions on offer to the WTA Top 8 in Shenzhen, what that signals for women's sports, but also how that signal might be muddled by the relative lack of coverage or attendance at the event. We also compare the WTA to the LPGA, talk about how athlete activism can be built, ...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 117
To wrap up the highs and lows of the radically revamped Davis Cup Finals event which just wrapped in Madrid, Ben is joined by Eleanor Crooks of PA to get impressions from on the ground at the new "World Cup of Tennis" from a veteran reporter of the format. How did expectations match realities? Which constituencies were most and least happy? What most needs addressing? And how does the relative success of Davis Cup change the pressure on ATP Cup, which is the next event on the men's tennis calend...
Nov 26, 2019•35 min•Ep. 116
Ben and Courtney continue their end-of-season show by looking at the various, disparate newsmakings of retired WTA stars Margaret Court (what should Tennis Australia do?) and Kim Clijsters (what should we expect of her comeback?). Also discussed are the careers of the departing Dominika Cibulkova and Tomas Berdych, Courtney's handshake with Andy Murray, Hawkeye replacing line judges, and the first comparison you've ever heard between Jannik Sinner and Lizzo. Also we discuss our worst experience ...
Nov 26, 2019•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 115
After far too long apart, Ben and Courtney reunited to record a sprawling conversation as the tennis season nears its end, and here's the first half. We start with Stefanos Tsitsipas triumphing at the ATP Finals in London, which sure offered evidence of a changing of a guard if we're ever ready to be ready to accept that. What makes Tsitsipas so unique? And is Thiem now a threat everywhere? We also dig into the discussions around the visibility and yet privacy of Sascha Zverev's health, and how ...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 114
In an annual NCR tradition, Ben is joined in DC by marathoner Ricky Dimon for a lookback at the ATP season that was. 2019 offered a lot of the same in terms of Big 3 dominance--will the one who finishes with the most Slams automatically win G.O.A.T. debates? Though in 2019 there were also meaningful breakthroughs...right? And will Andy Murray be able to contend again soon? We also look at the overflowing cupboard of cups in men's tennis, which now bulges with Laver Cup, new Davis Cup, and ATP Cu...
Nov 03, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 113
We're back with an interview from a bit ago with Vasek Pospisil , who has been using his spot on the ATP Player Council to lead a crusade for greater representation and compensation for players. Ben and Vasek talk about those issues, as well as conflicts of interest, Justin Gimelstob, Chris Kermode, relations with the WTA player leadership, and more. If you're interested in tennis politics, this is the episode for you. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode th...
Oct 18, 2019•53 min•Ep. 112
The U.S. Open was one to remember for runs by champion Bianca Andreescu and runner-up Daniil Medvedev, whom Ben and Courtney explore on this wrap show from a very good tournament. Rafael Nadal won his 19th Grand Slam, somehow becoming the best U.S. Open player of the decade. And Serena Williams lost a fourth straight Grand Slam final, bafflingly. We discuss both of those happenings, plus men's semifinalists Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini, as well as women's fourth rounders Naomi Osaka, Ta...
Sep 10, 2019•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 111
On the eve of the U.S. Open, Ben and Courtney sit down with the draws to figure out who is going to win this thing. It only feels worth going so far on the women's side, given the parity and upheaval on that tour lately, whereas our men's picks are mighty confident--including for newcomer to the top Daniil Medvedev. We discuss Serena-Sharapova, Bianca Andreescu, Hubert Hurkacz's mock turtleneck, Jannik Sinner's roots, and much more. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on ...
Aug 25, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 110
With careers lasting longer than ever in professional tennis nowadays, how does one end? To discuss that, Ben welcomes Tim Smyczek back to NCR. With the US Open not awarding Tim a wild card into the tournament this year, he found out a couple days ago that he had played the final match of his pro career. Tim didn't reach the highs of many players you'd be more familiar with, but his experience is both reflective of more players who give professional tennis a shot, and also a success story. And o...
Aug 16, 2019•47 min•Ep. 109
Back on Centre Court among the debris of the men's final, Ben and Courtney wrap up the Wimbledon that was. You'll hear much, including: why the men's and women's draws need each other so; the Coco Gauff breakthrough; Halep's incredible run; another close-but-no-cigar for Serena; we love Barbora Strycova; the media vs Johanna Konta; the Big 3 cruising until the late rounds and then playing matches high on drama if chunky on quality, especially the riveting Djokovic-Federer final; the wage theft f...
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 108
On their second try, Ben and Courtney recorded a Wimbledon preview from Centre Court, full of rehearsals for the big show which begins tomorrow (no, we don't mean Edmund-Munar). First on the quarter of death in the women's draw, led by Ash Barty (whom Serena Williams was surprised and delighted to learn was #1) and including Serena, Kerber, Sharapova, Muguruza, and more. Then we also talk dudes, including our hopes that the blockbuster Nadal-Kyrgios second round materializes. And lots more. As a...
Jun 30, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 107
A few days after the French Open, Ben and Courtney look back on the tournament that was and wasn't. While celebrating the champions--particularly the breakthrough of Ash Barty--we explore the general ennui we're left with from a tournament that never quite got in gear. We discuss the Big 3, Serena, Thiem, Serena-Thiem, and a bit more from the Slam that was. Also, because we're in Champagne (we're fancy now), we discuss the fallout from the U.S.A.'s emphatic 13-0 victory over Thailand which we wa...
Jun 13, 2019•52 min•Ep. 106
With hours to go before the 2019 French Open begins, Ben and Courtney sit down for a quick-ish rundown of who can win this tournament and why. From Naomi to Novak, Rafa to Petra, Plisko to Delpo, Tsitsi to Kiki, it's all here. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR227 !), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform o...
May 26, 2019•38 min•Ep. 105
In our first player interview in a while, Ben sits down in Rome with Nick Kyrgios, who provides his remarkably unfiltered views on himself and others in tennis. After a stupid saga of Twitter encounters , Ben and Nick's in-person chat offers infinitely more than 280 perspectives from one of the games most fascinating, complex, and divisive characters. You'll agree with parts, you'll disagree with parts, but mostly, hopefully, you'll be surprised by his honesty, for better or worse. As always, th...
May 15, 2019•49 min•Ep. 104
Ben and Courtney catch up on the happenings on the tours over the past couple months, which has been dominated by the story of no one dominating. What's to explain the spread of unique winners on both tours? And is the real story, perhaps, the youth movement? We discuss some of the more intriguing individual plotlines from this stretch as well, including Naomi Osaka splitting with her coach Sascha Bajin, how players like her will adjust to clay, Bianca Andreescu's mature breakout, and Denis Shap...
Apr 23, 2019•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 103
Taking a conversation that began on Twitter and building it into the longest episode they've ever done on one topic, Ben and Courtney wend their way through the history of women's tennis to discuss which players shaped it the most, from the beginning to the present to the future. There are consensus picks and contentious picks, but whether you agree or disagree with our assessments, we hope you enjoy this lengthy look at who and what made women's tennis the force it is today, and the many differ...
Feb 12, 2019•2 hr 54 min•Ep. 102
A day after the Australian Open, Ben and Courtney convene to discuss a Slam which seemed to provide more answers than questions, for a change. Both Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka consolidated their US Open wins (and their #1 rankings) with titles in Melbourne, and the future looks reasonably reasonable? On the men's side, we discuss where it sets up Djokovic, put Nadal's result in context, celebrate new semifinalists Lucas Pouille and Stefanos Tsitsipas, and wonder about what the future looks li...
Jan 30, 2019•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 101
With Stefanos Tsitsipas breaking onto the world stage by beating Roger Federer and then backing it up, Ben is joined by Vicky Georgatou , the best (and only) Greek reporter following him around the tour as he's soared up the ranks and into the semifinals of the Australian Open What has she made of his quick rise and his boisterous supporters here? And how will his unique personality hold up as he continues to grow as a superstar in Greece and abroad? As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (...
Jan 22, 2019•22 min•Ep. 100
