In what we hope will become an annual tradition, Mary Carillo joins us once again as the Australian Open is about to begin, helping us set the table for what should be a tasty Slam. Across a freewheeling chat that takes several sharp turns along a scenic route to Day 1 of the Australian Open, we discuss Andy Murray, Ash Barty, Hopman Cup, ATP Cup, Serena Williams, and our hopes for the 2019 season, which include records and breakthroughs. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave commen...
Jan 13, 2019•59 min•Ep. 99
As they begin Season 8(!) of NCR, Ben and Courtney dive into the men's and women's draws of the Australian Open, which look well set up for the usual suspects on the men's side, and for just about anybody on the women's side. So, business as usual! We will have more for you soon (including Courtney's many feelings about Sir Andrew Barron Murray), but for now enjoy this look ahead at what should be a fun two weeks in Melbourne. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the ep...
Jan 12, 2019•54 min•Ep. 98
Our seventh season of NCR wraps up with the third part of our marathon "Remember When?" episode, covering everything from the North American hard courts until the end of the season, with some final musings as well. From Stefanos Tsitsipas' emergence in Canada (and YouTube) to the trauma of the US Open women's final to the Nadal-Djokovic Saudi exhibition that never was, we have lots more to discuss before we're finally done. And we end, of course, with our final raves of the year. See you in 2019...
Dec 30, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 97
The second installment of "Remember When?" sees Ben and Courtney reminisce on the very eventful French Open, as well as Wimbledon, where we did not need 16 seeds and we assured you. Lots of stuff on Serena's catsuit, marathon matches, and an unexpected amount of schadenfreude. Even if it didn't come home, we're glad you have. These episodes are less about the headline grabbing stories and more about the smaller moments that made the year feel how it felt, and we do hope you enjoy it as a tasty d...
Dec 29, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 96
With a whole year behind them, Ben and Courtney have a whole lot to look back on, both fondly and...less fondly. And so, the fairly annual "Remember When?" episode is here, at least the first third of it on the first four or so months on the season. All sorts of wacky things happened in Australia, and the year stayed interesting throughout. These episodes are less about the headline grabbing stories and more about the smaller moments that made the year feel how it felt, and we do hope you enjoy ...
Dec 21, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 95
Back together for the first time since New York, Ben and Courtney recap the fall season, revisiting Elina Svitoina and Sascha Zverev winning the year-end championships, Darren Cahill stopping his work with Simona Halep, the surge of Wang Qiang, and a bit more. We then eulogize and celebrate the magnificent career of Agnieszka Radwanska, a player who found unique possibilities for how to play--and excel in--the sport like no other in this era. She's awesome, and we'll miss her a whole lot. We clo...
Dec 03, 2018•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 94
With Courtney covering the end of the women's season in Zhuhai, Ben is joined once again in Washington with friend of the show Ricky Dimon to talk about all things men's tennis. After a quick look back at the season as a whole, Ben and Ricky look ahead to London, which is coming down to a two-horse race between Kei Nishikori and John Isner. Which would make for a more intriguing participant? Then, we look at the players from last year in London who came nowhere near qualifying this year, most no...
Nov 01, 2018•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 93
On the heels of the release of her new book, " Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey ," Ben speaks with Julie Heldman about her journey and the legacy of her mother, Hall-of-Famer Gladys Heldman. Heldman, one of the "Original 9," details the formative days of professional women's tennis and the factors that helped it off the ground. We discuss her mother's role, Billie Jean King's role, and how the story is remembered today. We also discuss the sport today and her struggles with mental health, which were...
Oct 12, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 92
With Courtney in China for a bit, Ben was delighted to meet up in D.C. with The Washington Post's Liz Clarke , who recently returned from Chicago where she covered the second Laver Cup , the novel new event which seems to defy expectations and definitions in tennis in first two successful editions. Ben and Liz discuss her impressions of the event and how players and crowds have taken to it, what makes it work, the definition of "exhibition," and her take on the competing interests in men's tenni...
Sep 26, 2018•48 min•Ep. 91
After spending the last episode on Naomi Osaka and what happened in her final against Serena Williams, Ben and Courtney move on to the rest of the U.S. Open. Well, after an explanation of what "Pique" is, a bit more on Serena: what do we make of her not being the closer she once was deep in Slams? Then, other topics include: the heat and the slow courts, the impact of moments when non-tennis media becomes interested in the sport, women's top-10 fleeing Slams early, champion Novak Djokovic, runne...
Sep 15, 2018•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 90
The 2018 U.S. Open was absurdly eventful, and the women's side finished with tremendous controversy, so we devote most of this first wrap-up episode to that. But first, we spend ample time on our new breakthrough champion, Naomi Osaka, and her stunning performance. Then we dive headlong into everything that happened in the second set of her win over Serena Williams, which sparked worldwide discussion about officiating, sexism, and more. It was a whole big mess, and we hope we're able to clean it...
Sep 11, 2018•58 min•Ep. 89
With Naomi Osaka reaching the U.S. Open final, Ben and Courtney revisit the first time we discussed her, back on Episode 83 in August 2014. We had never heard of her before that week, but we were immediately intrigued and excited. We get a lot of things wrong on NCR, as anyone who listens knows, but we think we got this one right. We also mention Courtney's interview with her on WTA Insider . We'll be back after the finals to wrap up this whole very steamy tournament. As always, thanks for likin...
Sep 07, 2018•13 min•Ep. 88
It's been a minute, but Ben and Courtney are back together to tee up the 2018 U.S. Open draw and do a little catching up on things we missed or covered in our lost post-Wimbledon episode. First, the draws, which feature Serena Williams being dealt a gauntlet of her sister and Simona Halep, clearly the best player of the year. How do we assess the many threats in that quarter? And who else is well positioned to go deep? On the men's side, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic seem like co-favorites, bu...
Aug 25, 2018•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 87
NCR was THRILLED to be able to partner with friend of the show Nick McCarvel for his "Open Playbook: Being Queer & Out in Pro Tennis" event on the Thursday before the U.S. Open at the Housing Works Bookstore in SoHo. After a quick intro chat between Ben and Nick, you'll here Nick host a panel featuring out gay former players Brian Vahaly and Casey Dellacqua, who share their different journeys of coming out and the acceptance (or lack thereof) they felt along the way. It was a super fun night...
Aug 24, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 86
Together in the Wimbledon Village, Ben and Courtney break down the women's and men's Wimbledon draws. First, the women, where much handwringing ended with Serena Williams getting the #25 seed. Fair? We discuss. And how do things look for the favorites? And why are those in the know so stoked about Sabalenka-Niculescu. On the men's side, is it interesting until clear favorite Roger Federer loses? You may find out our opinion on that, though Ben does his darnedest to offer factoids throughout. As ...
Jun 30, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 85
In advance of the release of the Strokes of Genius documentary, Ben is joined by friend of the show Jon Wertheim, who wrote the book, literally, on the 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. We discuss what had made this match so exulted and immortal, what it takes to put together a production like this in the disjointed world of tennis, and how the match did (or didn't) change the course of tennis. The show closes with a cameo by shoeless Ernests Gulbis, who has thoughts o...
Jun 26, 2018•37 min•Ep. 84
Ben and Courtney go back to their curtain-pulling roots to bring you the wisdom of Eleanor Preston , who works as Media Manager at the Nature Valley Classic where B+C were this week, as well as other various roles in sporting events around the globe. We discuss credentialing (one of the things we're asked about most), press conferences, diversity in media, and much more. We then finish with a very brief wrap of what's happened on the grass so far. As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (lea...
Jun 24, 2018•42 min•Ep. 83
Together in Birmingham, Ben and Courtney look back on the French Open, which ended with creative destruction. But before the "demolition party," there was Rafael Nadal's as-planned crushing of Dominic Thiem. How do we appreciate dominance while not being bored by the inevitable? What progress did Thiem show by reaching his first final? And why should no one be overly impressed by Sascha Zverev's run to the quarterfinals? On the women's side, what does Simona Halep's break through say about her p...
Jun 18, 2018•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 82
Ben and Courtney rendezvous in Paris once again to discuss the women's and men's French Open draws, which set up two very interesting tournaments (or maybe one and a half?) The women's side is full of intriguing and relevant match-ups throughout, especially the highly anticipated section with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Karolina Pliskova. What can we expect from Garbine Muguruza? Can lightning strike twice for Jelena Ostapenko (or has she become a more stable generator?) And can Elina ...
May 26, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 81
After an unintentionally long hiatus, Ben and Courtney are back together on the NCR airwaves from Paris, where they play a bit of catchup and try to set the table for the French Open ahead (with further draw dissection to come once it's out). First, has much really changed compared to this time last year? What do we expect of Serena, and what do we make of the controversy which has arisen about her not being seeded for the tournament? Are seedings earned protections based on results, or projecti...
May 22, 2018•55 min•Ep. 80
Back from Indian Wells, Ben and Courtney start with a discussion of surprise champ Naomi Osaka, who won her first title at any level in emphatic fashion against a murderer's row of opponents. What caused her breakthrough now, and what should we expect for Naomi going forward? Also, it was the big stage (and press room) emergence of the runner up, Daria Kasatkina. Before that, what to make of the comeback of Serena Williams so far (including a loss to Naomi in Miami), and is it at all concerning ...
Mar 26, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 79
Frequently frantic, February fades out with the latest chat between Ben and Courtney, who have lots to catch you up on. Topics covered include Frances Tiafoe's first title, Wozniacki-Niculescu beefing, Federer reaching #1, Serena Williams' long road ahead, Tennis Twitter falling for Darko Grncarov , Harrison-Young ugliness, the rise of Acapulco, and more! Lastly, a celebration of Logan Lucky and a defense of Cool Runnings against attacks . As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comme...
Mar 01, 2018•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 78
After three days at a very different court than usual, Ben is joined by Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal to briefly discuss Eugenie Bouchard's victory in the liability phase of her lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association. Speaking outside the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, Ben and Daniel discuss the first three days of the trial, the testimonies it contained, where the U.S.T.A.'s defenses fell short, and the many ambiguities and uncerta...
Feb 23, 2018•20 min•Ep. 77
Ben and Courtney fled to opposite corners of the globe after the Australian Open, so just now bring you this show on the Grand Slam that was, in which second seeds Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki won their 20th, and first, respectively. First, on the men. Why was closing the roof a correct, obvious decision? And indoors or outdoors, has it all gotten a bit too easy for Roger Federer at an age when it shouldn't? And on the flip side, does Rafael Nadal have grounds to complain as much as he d...
Feb 06, 2018•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 76
Ben and Courtney are delighted to see their ersatz odometer click over to 200 with their dear friend Mary Carillo at the Australian Open (the 200th Grand Slam of the Open Era, no less!). She's our kind of people. Mary, in Melbourne for Tennis Channel, is also in the midst of reporting for HBO's Real Sports about the controversy surrounding the Australian Open's Margaret Court Arena, which has faced calls for a name change or boycott as its namesake, the Grand Slam champ-turned-pastor Margaret Co...
Jan 14, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 75
Ben and Courtney are back in your ears after far too long, and are in Melbourne ready to tee up the first Grand Slam of 2018. On the women's side, we discuss the women who have surged to start the year (Halep, Kerber, Bencic...Giorgi?) and go through the draw thoroughly to find where openings might emerge. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal is a clear draw winner, but there still manage to be lots of exciting early round match-ups throughout. And is it Roger's to lose, or can 2,000 points go to Gof...
Jan 13, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 74
Ben and Courtney reunite on this packed episode and start with a discussion of the legacy of the late Jana Novotna, who passed away at age 49 due to cancer. How should her legendary breakdown and resilience continue to influence how we see the sport today? As the WTA and ATP seasons wrapped up, what did we learn about the respective year-end champs, Caroline Wozniacki and Grigor Dimitrov? Will either be able to carry their results into next year? And is 2018 primed to be a year full of first-tim...
Nov 26, 2017•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 73
While the best women battle it out in Singapore, we look ahead to the men's season wrapping up with guest Ricky Dimon back on the show to talk some men's tennis. How did everything get so flipped around in the Big 4 this year, and how does it set up 2018? Also, we go over our (unsubmitted) ATP awards ballots and dish out some before-and-after fun (full thing on our Facebook page). As always, thanks for liking us on Facebook (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), fo...
Oct 25, 2017•32 min•Ep. 72
With the field set for Singapore, Ben and Courtney look back at the fall that was, including the sudden surge of Caroline Garcia to defy the odds and grab a spot among the elite eight. On the men's side, Roger beat Rafa yet again--that means he's the best player of the year, right? And who gets our player of the year votes on the women's side? And how can we assess the field of play when it's all so tightly packed together on the women's side and when almost no men seem to be playing all that we...
Oct 19, 2017•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 71
As she returns from covering the inaugural Laver Cup, NCR's Middle East correspondant Reem Abulleil chats with Ben about the new competition, which proved to be stunningly successful and compelling despite being an exhibition made out of thin air by Roger Federer's marketing team. What did Laver Cup get so right in its first try? Why were players so invested in it? And how can the stale and neglected Davis Cup learn from it to adapt for this changing tennis landscape? Reem is the hero of our tim...
Sep 27, 2017•58 min•Ep. 70
