No Challenges Remaining

With 19-year-old Iga Swiatek reaching the French Open final (against Sofia Kenin), showing incredible mental strength and poise that belies her age and relative inexperience, Ben is joined by Daria Abramowicz, the sports psychologist who has been with Swiatek at Roland Garros during her remarkably doinant run. Ben and Daria discuss the field of sports psychology in general, her work with Iga particularly, and how this sort of focus can fit into an athlete's day and routine.  Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Charles Cyna, and Nicole Copeland!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever y

With just four women and four men left in contention at Roland Garros. Ben and Courtney look back to the quarterfinals and ahead to the semifinals. Iga Swiatek will face Nadia Podoroska, Petra Kvitova will face Sofia Kenin, Rafael Nadal will face Diego Schwartzman, and Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Novak Djokovic. These are shaping up as some very different matches, and we have many thoughts across the board. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Charles Cyna, and Nicole Copeland!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

As the first slate of quarterfinals saw big wins for Argentina, we take a look at what suddenly went missing from the French Open: the small army of GIF-makers who animate (literally) Tennis Twitter so steadfastly. The French Federation of Tennis issued a major crackdown on GIFs this week, bringing the pictures on our timelines to a stand still. To better understand this landscape, Ben tries to track down an answer from the FFT (no luck yet), and then talks to the King of the Tennis GIFs, @doublefault28, a Tennis Twitter Hall of Famer. Ben then chats with another GIFer in the Tennis Twitter ranks, Ashish of @Tennis_GIFs. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D

Reem Abulleil, queen of content for Roland Garros, joins Ben to look ahead to the quarterfinal slates in Paris which are (almost) complete. On the women's side, how will Elina Svitolina handle the pressure? Will momentum help qualifiers?  On the men's side, could Jannik Sinner pull off a huge surprise against Nadal, or should Diego Schwartzman pull off a smaller one over Thiem? Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop, Charles Cyna, and Nicole Copeland!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Sunday at Roland Garros saw the exit of overwhelming favorite, Simona Halep, and another disappointment from frequently-underwhelming pandemic citizen Sascha Zverev. Tumaini Carayol is here to discuss both of those events and more. What can Halep's loss be chalked up to? Is it now Elina Svitolina's half of the draw to lose? And on the men's side, we discuss Jannik Sinner's impressively consistent four-set win over Sascha Zverev, and then Zverev's decision to play and stay in the tournament despite symptoms which almost certainly should have forced him out. Who is to blame in this scenario? Plus a brief look ahead to Monday's slate, and an ode to turtlenecks. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (A

Ben and Courtney reunite to discuss the first week of the French Open, which ended with Danielle Collins beating Garbine Muguruza in one of the bigger surprises so far. Collins joins many other unexpected names (Daniel Altmaier, anyone?) in the second week of a tournament that could go some very different directions in the next few days. We discuss how it's felt to cover the tournament that's a world away in many ways, and also get into what it's been like to have a new ear on tennis than usual, as we're home like most viewers, digesting tennis through the coverage on ESPN and Tennis Channel. What do we make about the way issues in the sport (like Hawkeye on clay, notably) are talked about, and what does that say about tennis coverage? It all makes us very grateful for our independence, let's say that. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the A

Roland Garros has seen many new names emerging to go deep into the tournament already, including a bevy of players from outside the Top 100 reaching the second week. Among them is our guest on today's show: Barbora Krejcikova, a former Slam champ and #1 in doubles, who achieved a long-awaited breakthrough into the Top 100 on Friday by reaching the fourth round of the French Open. Krejcikova discusses her determination to stick with singles, her ability to accept her shortcomings that allowed her to go further, and the continued inspiration she gets from her late coach, Jana Novotna. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop, Charles Cyn

With two rounds of the French Open now done, it's time to make some bold calls. Ben is rejoined by Alex Gruskin of the Cracked Racquets media empire to make some bold calls and predictions about the short-term (Roland Garros) and long-term outlook of tennis. From Jelena Ostapenko to Sofia Kenin to Sascha Zverev to Serena Williams to Jannik Sinner, we've got all the hot takes you could ever want...and then some.  Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop, Charles Cyna, and Nicole Copeland!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may b

It was an eventful day at Roland Garros, with three-time champ Serena Williams withdrawing due to a lingering Achilles' injury, Victoria Azarenka and Coco Gauff also exiting, and Sara Errani and Kiki Bertens getting into all sorts of drama as their third set rocked (and then rolled). After bits from Serena, Errani, and Bertens, the main body of this episode focuses on two men who advanced on Wednesday: U.S. Open finalists Dominic Thiem and Sascha Zverev. Ben is joined by German reporter Jannik Schneider to discuss Zverev, his perception in Germany, his physical development, the impact of signing with Roger Federer's Team 8 company, and the legal battles that remain for him, as well as the similar legal battles around Dominic Thiem and his former manager. This was our 22nd(!) episode of the month of September! Golly. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can fr

Trying to recreate a Paris tradition in podcast form, Ben and Ricky Dimon try to predict various happenings on Wednesday at the French Open, both on court and off. The questions range from straightforward (How many sets will Pironkova win? How many double faults will Zverev hit?) to more unusual (How many times will the word "ball" be said Nadal's press conference?) 21 prop questions in all, we hope you have fun thinking about these questions and hearing our thought processes. To leave your own predictions, do so in the episode thread for this episode on our Patreon! Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop and Charles Cyna!) As alway

We are joined on this Day 2 episode by one of the big winners of the day at Roland Garros: Alexander Bublik (aka Sasha Bubbles in NCRland) who knocked out #8 seed Gael Monfils in four sets. It's a relatively short chat but not short on material: Bublik covers everything from ambition to old men to underhand serving to Faust. And, if you're a Sasha Bubbles celebrator, good news: we'll have a more extended chat that Ben did with him coming later this week on our Patreon. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your

The marquee matches of the day were both won in decisive straight sets, with Stan Wawrinka romping over Andy Murray, and Coco Gauff controlling play against Johanna Konta. Tumaini Carayol, NCR's newly-enshrined Spain and Sub-Saharan Africa correspondent, joins to discuss these matches and the reactions to them. Is giving a wild card to Murray debatable, as Mats Wilander claimed? Should Konta be less walled off with the media? And what made Wawrinka and Gauff so sharp? Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the Atlantic, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your p

Another Slam approaches at a time of year which has never held a Slam before, so Ben and Courtney try to gather their physical and mental strength to take on what is shaping up to be an incredibly challenging Slam in many ways. We start with the women, where Simona Halep is a clear favorite, but parity abounds also in women's tennis, as always. Garbine Muguruza appears set for success, and Serena and Azarenka are also intriguing in a Slam which may reward power more than the average French Open. On the men's side we discuss Novak Djokovic's status as favorite, and detour into topics such as the complaints of players who are testing positive, the "struggles" of Stefanos Tsitsipas, the height of Diego Schwartzman, the wonders of Sasha Bubbles, and more. Also, we discuss what we'll miss most about Paris.  Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in as we strive to bring you the best French Open content we can from across the A

On September 23, 1970, women's professional sports were changed forever by the bravery of nine tennis players who defied the sport's authorities and signed $1 contracts to become professionals with Gladys Heldman, setting in motion what would become the WTA Tour we know today as the world's most successful women's professional sport. Kristy Pigeon, one of these "Original 9," joins from her home in Idaho to discuss her life in the sport, the moment everything changed 50 years ago, and where the sport has gone since. It's a great, wide-ranging chat and we think you'll enjoy this one tremendously. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent weeks NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Christopher Bishop and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on

On the week of a massive milestone anniversary in women's tennis history, Ben and Courtney set the table for a discussion of the Original 9, the group of women who broke away from the tennis establishment and risked their careers in order to make women's professional tennis into a viable sport on September 23, 1970. An interview with Kristy Pigeon, one of the nine, will be here on NCR soon, so Ben and Courtney wanted to set the stage a bit and explain what the Original 9 was, why they matter, and why their stories still resonate. Courtney has been doing lots of great stuff about the Original 9 over at WTA Insider, so go listen to Gladys Heldman, listen to Judy Dalton, or (re)visit NCR's chat with Julie Heldman. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received over the course of the 2020 U.S. Open on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank yo

Desperately missing Rome as we miss out on covering the Italian Open for the first time in many years, Enrico Maria Riva joins from on the grounds of the Foro Italico to discuss what it's like being at the most sensory and vibrant tournament that suddenly is all but empty. Enrico, who works in television graphics, also discusses that side of the tournament, what changes have been made to television production because of coronavirus, and the rise of Italy as a robust and promising contingent in men's tennis.  Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received over the course of the 2020 U.S. Open on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

After a men's final that became a battle of nerves late, Dominic Thiem outlasted Sascha Zverev in a fifth set tiebreak to win the U.S. Open, his first Grand Slam title. Ben is joined on late notice by Reem Abulleil to discuss the scratchy final, in which Zverev started well but went back into his shell, which both players failed to serve out when they had the chance, and which became an exciting/excruciating battle of who could manage to eke across the finish line first. Was it a good match, even charitably? And if not, what does it mean as a coronation moment? And how does it set these guys up going forward? Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received over the course of the 2020 U.S. Open on the NCR Patreon! If you'd like to join in, check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and

Naomi Osaka, making herself heard on court and off, won her third Grand Slam title on Saturday at the U.S. Open, coming back from 1-6, 0-2 down to beat Victoria Azarenka in the final. Ben and Courtney chat about the match, the incredibly impressive way Osaka has found her voice and her game, Victoria Azarenka's reemergence, who the current alpha is in women's tennis, and more. Also, Courtney gives some parting thoughts on her hopes for the men's final.  Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days! If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes

We've got another voice from inside the U.S. Open bubble, man-of-the-people Mike Cation, on NCR to discuss the men's semifinals, from which Sascha Zverev and Dominic Thiem advanced to the final. It wasn't always pretty, especially not for Zverev. What should we think when Zverev, a guy we're convinced can be great wins so unconvincingly? And where does this result leave men's tennis as it seeks new stars? Also, more on life inside the bubble, calling crowdless matches, and looking back at the men's event from an American perspective and otherwise. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days! If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna

The women put on an incredible display in their semifinal showcase on Thursday evening at the U.S. Open, with Victoria Azarenka beating Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka besting Jennifer Brady in two spectacular matches. Nick McCarvel, who was one of the 147 people watching Azarenka-Williams in Ashe (yes, he counted) joins Ben to discuss the experience, the matches, the two finalists set for a Saturday showdown, and what has been a surreal and memorable two weeks in the "ghost town" Grand Slam. Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received in recent days! If you'd like to join fellow listeners in supporting our show as we work to crank out daily shows during the 2020 U.S. Open, we've launched an NCR Patreon where you can do just that! Check out our five tiers and see which might be right for you! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, and Charles Cyna!) As always, thanks for following us on Twitter and sub