Episodes
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Ben catches up with Tumaini, who is freshly back from Berlin, about the state of the Laver Cup, which might as well be called the Federer Cup for how it foregrounds the retired superstar. We discuss the relevance, successes, and struggles of the event, and contrast it with Davis Cup, which had a lumpy round of competition in recent weeks to set up for its big final this year later in Spain.
Speaking of the tennis calendar, we discuss the age-old complaints about the tennis calendar which were given renewed voice by Carlos Alcaraz (and pushed back on by his rival Jannik Sinner).
Then we switch to the women's side, and go in-depth on the huge news of Naomi Osaka hiring Patrick Mouratoglou, a collision of two of the biggest brands in tennis. Will they be a good fit? And how do we judge Mouratoglou's pedigree to this point?
We also discuss Coco Gauff's own coaching change, Sinner hiring Djokovic's ex-team members, and what the future might hold in store for both Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Plus, a little rant on tennis promoters being shady about stars who are unlikely to stay entered in events, and Ben teases a new project!
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.
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Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets for the second half of another home-and-home pair of podcasts looking ahead to the rest of the remaining year (and beyond, a bit) in women's tennis, counting down what we think the biggest stories and questions are.
After chatting about men's storylines over on The Mini Break Podcast, we focus on the women's side here, ranking the biggest curiosities and quandaries on what seems like a tour in transition.
From Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka making coaching changes, to the tour reestablishing itself in China and finally making its highly anticipated venture into Saudi Arabia, there's lots of stories, big and small, to discuss.
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.
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Episodes manquant?
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Ben and Tumaini wrap their U.S. Open coverage with a look at the women's and men's singles finals, in which Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner both completed a sweep of the hardcourt majors this season.
The finals were both fairly straightforward, which leaves us for some time to cover related topics and listener questions including the intense celebrification of the U.S. Open (hello, Taylor Swift), Sabalenka's career vs Azarenka's, the shadow of Sinner's anti-doping saga over his win, and Olympics skipping paying off.
We also zoom out a bit to discuss the total, generational European domination of men's tennis, and if a man born in the 1990s is ever going to win another Slam. 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini are back again 24 hours later for a look at the men's side of the second week of this US Open, which has culminated with Jannik Sinner rolling into the final and Taylor Fritz ending a 15-year drought for American men between Slam final appearances.
We discuss the messy Sinner-Draper semifinal, the pivotal change that pushed Fritz past Frances Tiafoe, and how Fritz and Sinner might match up in the final.
We also talk about the (negative) vibe shift around Sinner after his recent anti-doping cloud, the repeated failures of Alexander Zverev at Slams, the mixed feelings of Medvedev, and the various other players who couldn't pounce on this open opportunity.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini cover the second week of the US Open on the women's side, which is now set to reach its dramatic conclusion in a final between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula.
We discuss the two high-quality semifinals that set up these wins, what has made Sabalenka develop into such a better player than the version of her we first saw, and Pegula's long-awaited breakthrough.
We also discuss Pegula's win over Swiatek, the debated off-court moments of Swiatek's during and after the match, and the struggleful defeat of Coco Gauff.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini chat through all the big stories of the first week of the U.S. Open, which kicked into gear with the upsets of two big men's stars.
Carlos Alcaraz (to Bob van de Slap!) and Novak Djokovic lost on back-to-back nights, but which was more surprising? We also discuss the crisis expressed in defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas, scheduling, and other issues on the men's side.
On the women's side, we discuss the difficulty in assessing Naomi Osaka's year, the thrill of Karolina Muchova, and concerns over Elena Rybakina.
Lastly, Ben thanks everyone for their generosity, and we commemorate the end of the Slam careers of Dominic Thiem and Danielle Collins, and discuss ghosting ceremonies.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini wrap up their U.S. Open preview double header with a discussion of the women's field at the 2024 U.S. Open.
We discuss topics such as the paths for Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, our relief at news of a coaching change by Elena Rybakina, the reliably broad resonance of Naomi Osaka's vulnerability, frustrations with Emma Raducanu's scheduling, the recent woes of Coco Gauff, and the golden glow-up of Zheng Qinwen.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini discuss the men's field at the fast approaching U.S. Open, leading off with Jannik Sinner, the man who was the focus of our emergency episode earlier this week. How did he handle the press conference better than the USTA did? And (scattered throughout the rest of the episode) what were the reactions of other players in the draw?
We also discuss how contenders like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev are positioned in the draw, the uniquely international flavor of the wildcards at this year's Open, and how the qualifying week ballooning in popularity effects the experience.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini jumped on today for an emergency episode about the stunning news today that ATP #1 Jannik Sinner had tested positive twice earlier this year for the banned substance Clostebol, a revelation that came simultaneous to the announcement that he had been found to bear "no fault or negligence" in the case.
We lay out the timeline of Sinner's year, and how this revelation adds depth to what was already a busy stretch in the young champion's life. We discuss what parts of the story about how his physiotherapist transferred the substance via unwashed finger injury we find most and least credible, the ramifications for the sport more widely, and the state of anti-doping in tennis.
Also, a little bit right at the end about the possible curtain call of Venus Ebony Starr Williams.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Former WTA No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, still top of the ladder of most honest and direct players in tennis, talks with Ben in this interview episode about the current state of her career and her expectations, and how the tour has changed during her long career.
Pliskova discusses the aura that stars like Sharapova and Serena had, how Serena compares to Iga Swiatek on court, what it's been like since her twin sister Kristyna retired, 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini reunite to discuss all that happened in the Olympic tennis events, and a bit in the wider Olympics as well.
We start with the biggest story, which was Novak Djokovic, who has won everything else there is to win in tennis multiple times, finally claiming an elusive gold medal. At 37, with everything complete, could be the right time for him to retire on top? We also discuss his peers Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, and how these Olympics served as farewells for them as well in different ways.
We discuss the doubles, and the tension between favoring singles guys over doubles specialists, the surprisingly spicy flameouts of the American women, the triumph of Zheng Qinwen over Iga Swiatek and then winning gold, and the romcom-ready magic of mixed doubles.
We also discuss the Olympics more widely and where tennis fits in, and how this event affirms tennis' place on the top tier of the sporting world.
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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets to preview the 2024 Olympic tennis event starting this weekend in Paris at Roland Garros, a quirky quadrennial event.
Can Iga Swiatek handle the pressure of the occasion? Can Barbora Krejcikova sustain her momentum from Wimbledon? And what does Coco Gauff need to do to reverse her fortunes against Swiatek?
We also discuss the women's doubles, where Gauff might have a better shot at gold, and the mixed draw, which is jam-packed with unique meetings like Errani-Medvedev.
This is a home-and-home series joint podcast, so this episode here focuses on the women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles draws, while our episode over on the Cracked Racquets feed focuses on the men's singles and men's doubles.
Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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This is an update on our main feed to let listeners know that we have a new mailbag episode (with a beloved and deeply missed NCR person) just up on our Patreon feed today!
We answer listener questions about tennis things like the impact of mid-match coaching and longer 1000 events and non-tennis things like our current favorite music and board games.
Thank you for listening and supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini reunite the morning after the Wimbledon Ball to discuss the champions who danced together after dancing alone atop their respective draws, Barbora Krejcikova and Carlos Alcaraz.
We discuss what makes Krejcikova so good (with an assist from Andrea Petkovic), where she goes from here, and the state of the top of the women's game after this result.
After debuting an original song by NCR's bard Dan Bern, we turn to the men's champion Carlos Alcaraz, who delivered a decisive domination of Djokovic that clarifies their respective places in men's tennis right now. Is Alcaraz the best player in the world right now? And can Djokovic still win another major someday?
Also, exciting news of an upcoming show for our Patreon backers is (sorta) revealed.
Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini reunite now that the Wimbledon finals are set, to discuss the unexpected women's final between Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini, and the far more predictable rematch of last year's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
We discuss the great women's semifinals, including Paolini's epic battle against Vekic, and how Krejcikova is proving herself to be a generational talent.
On the men's side, we discuss Medvedev's near-default, and the disparate styles of locking in that Alcaraz and Djokovic both use with such success in best-of-five.
Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini start this mid-tournament show with a catch up on the fourth round action, which included some crowd combativeness in victory from Novak Djokovic, some complaining and collapsing from Zverev, and some painful injuries on the grass.
We look ahead to the quarterfinals with special focus on the surprise runs of Emma Navarro, Lulu Sun, Barbora Krejcikova, and Taylor Fritz, and Tumaini also weighs in on the Raducanu/Murray mixed doubles mess.
Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben is joined by James Gray of The i newspaper, inews.co.uk, and Tennis Unfiltered to discuss Saturday's big upset and some doubles drama causing buzz around Wimbledon.
We discuss #1 Iga Swiatek getting hammered in the second and third sets by Yulia Putintseva as the crowd turned on her in the middle, but we start with the big British news of the day (in a busy time for British news generally), which was Emma Raducanu pulling the plug on Andy Murray's Wimbledon career by withdrawing from their mixed doubles match. What are the reactions to this news which Andy's mother Judy Murray called "astonishing"?
We also discuss James' recent reporting on anger in doubles ranks about the ATP limiting opportunities for doubles specialists to enter tournaments, and what the path forward for doubles might be, both as a source of employment and entertainment.
Thank you for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week 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, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben is joined by Ricky Dimon to discuss the first week of Wimbledon so far, which has been mostly pretty straightforward on the men's and women's sides.
We discuss the biggest scare a men's favorite has had so far, when Alcaraz needed five sets to beat Tiafoe, as well as Sinner's battle past Berrettini and Djokovic's tricky road ahead.
We also discuss the strong form of Emma Navarro, and the wide-open women's bottom half that includes a path for Emma Raducanu.
We also discuss the big retirement sendoff Wimbledon gave Andy Murray, a ceremony which was very different from traditional Wimbledon fare.Thanks for listening! Our Patreon is back up and running as of this week, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben is joined by L'Equipe's Quentin Moynet to discuss one of the most striking players at this year's Wimbledon, Maxime Janvier, who has stood out for his uniquely bleak outlook on tennis, even in victory.
We get into Janvier's remarkably open cynicism, his mid-match explanations about money, class divides throughout the tennis rankings, and how his remarks have been received within tennis circles.
Ben and Quentin also discuss the player whom Janvier beat in the final round of qualifying, young French rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who scored an upset win over Sebastian Korda today as a lucky loser.
Also, our Patreon is back up and running as of this week, so we have lots of backers to thank, and we hope you can also join them in supporting the show! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver, Jean Simeon, and J. O'D.
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Ben and Tumaini continue their conversation into the men's draw, where Jannik Sinner is the top seed for the first time at a Slam, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz looms in his half, and grass specialists like Matteo Berrettini loom large.
We take several deep dives along the way into scheduling and health issues, first discussing the women and men who decided to skip the Olympics and why they might regret it. Tumaini then regales us with Andy Murray's full saga leading up to what he's confirmed will be his last Slam, and then we close with a look at Novak Djokovic's rapid return from surgery on his torn meniscus.
Thanks for listening to our preview episodes! If you're enjoying our Wimbledon content, please consider backing NCR on our Patreon page, which gets back into gear on the first day of the tournament!
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