No Challenges Remaining

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 on being a second-class Wimbledon citizen as he competes in the qualifying draw at Roehampton. 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 #NCR209!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 (leave comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR208!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 previous struggles? What has made Sloane Stephens into a perennial contender? And how do we assess Serena's grass prospects? Then, lots and lots of rants.  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 #NCR207!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 Svitolina reach her Slam potential. On the men's side, Ben posits why the super lopsided draw is actually perfect for the tournament, as all the best players who aren't Nadal get to battle amongst themselves for a spot in the final. He also defends his advocacy for John Isner, and Courtney explains her new devotion to Lil' David Goffin. 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 #NCR206!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 projections of potential to win? And can Sascha Zverev finally do at Slams what he's done on tour? That and more. Yeah, yeah, fire. 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 #NCR205!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 that Venus hasn't been able to close out titles? On the men's side, we discuss the breakthrough of Juan Martin del Potro, who at last won a Masters title. Also, checking in on the slumps of Karolina Pliskova and Maria Sharapova, as well as the how to minimize the distraction of stadium music. 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 #NCR204!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 comments on the episode thread! Engage with other listeners!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR203!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 uncertainties that are still to come in the wildly debatable damages stage. 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 #NCR202!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 does about schedules and surfaces and such? Also, we delve into the Tennys Sandgren saga, what parts of it were fair and not, and what lessons there are to be learned. Then, onto the women, where champion Caroline Wozniacki may have somehow had the least impressive tournament of any of the semifinalists? On her breakthrough, what we learned about Simona Halep, the joys of Hsieh Su-wei and the underwhelming major results of Elina Svitolina.  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 #NCR201!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 Court has continued to escalate her crusade against gay and transgender people, including children. We discuss many of the sides of this complex issue, the perspectives of Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, as well as how BJK serve-and-volleyed Tennis Australia before the tournament began. We end with Mary's enduring love for tennis, as well as her iconic moment regarding another racquet sport: badminton.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 #NCR200!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 Goffindor? 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 #NCRAusOpen!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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-time major champions on either or both tours? We then touch on the ATP Next Gen event in Milan, its tasteless draw ceremony, and the reactions to mid-match coaching with headsets. Our takes vary here. Then we introduce you all to the #NCRBookClub, which is starting with Venus Envy by John Wertheim, which you should read! Lastly, Courtney gives all sorts of movie recommendations and Ben talks about his game show experience and recent Jeopardy closure. 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 #NCR199c!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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!), following us on Twitter (discuss this episode with hashtag #NCR199b!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 well? Lastly, would the WTA benefit from a Milan-style showcase for its youngest stars? Or is that event, alternately, detrimental for the men? 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 #NCR199a!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!

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 times. 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 #NCR199!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be!