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 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.

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Episode 243d: Australian Open - Serena, Wang, Osaka & Gauff Stun Week 1

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 is joined by Reem Abulleil to discuss Ons Jabeur, Wozniacki's third round opponent, who is blazing a greater trail for Arab women than anyone has before, and still has tremendous potential left to unlock in her game.You may not have thought you wanted a Wozniacki-Jabeur hype show, but we're pretty sure you're gonna be ready to run through a brick wall to see it by the time you finish this. 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.

Episode 243c: Australian Open - Wozniacki & Jabeur, with Freddie & Reem

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 not?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.

Episode 243b: Australian Open - Clearing the Air

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, but if not, things could quickly become very muddled. 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.

Episode 243a: Australian Open - Where There's Smoke...

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 like that.  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 #NCR242!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 242: Australian Open 2020 Draw Preview

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 impressed, and may have gotten past an important mental block? We wrap up with some closing thoughts on the first ATP Cup, featuring a win by Serbia and Novak Djokovic, and losses in the composure of many players.  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 #NCR241!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 241: Battles in Brisbane; Serena Wins a Title

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 present and future. 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 #NCR240!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 240: ATP Cup Begins; Fires Continue

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 years now, we wish everyone here the best through the terrible fires, and encourage you to donate to fire relief efforts if you're able. 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 #NCR239!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 239: Barbora Strycova

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

Episode 238b: Top 10 Defining Female Players of the Decade

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

Episode 238a: Top 10 Defining Male Players of the Decade

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, and much more.  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 #NCR237!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 237: Tennis Power Plays with Lindsay Gibbs

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 calendar? Also, a bit of bonus talk about the new Andy Murray documentary, which comes out later this week.  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 #NCR236c!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 236c: Reviewing New Davis Cup (with Eleanor Crooks)

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 with a person on tour, and our criteria for blocking on Twitter. 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 #NCR236b!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 236b: Farewells and Fair Blocks

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 it should be covered going forward. Also, Davis Cup is here in a whole new way.  We then shift to Courtney's trip through WTAsia, which featured long-awaited match-ups of breakout stars. We also discuss rising phenoms Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff. Our first attempt at timestamps!  0:58 Tsitsipas 14:16 Looking back at last episode's crucial error. 25:37 Zverev health discussions 41:40 Davis Cup 48:55 WTAsia with Barty, Bianca, and Osaka 1:07:07 Kenin 1:11:05 Coco GauffAs 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 #NCR236a!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 236: Tsitsipas is King in England; WTAsia Wrap

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 Cup. Is there possibly an appetite for them all? And is it fair that ATP Cup awards points, unlike the other two? Lastly, we go over a possible ballot for the ATP awards this year--as well as their inverses. 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 #NCR235!), and subscribing/reviewing on iTunes on iTunes or whatever your podcasting app/platform of choice may be.

Episode 235: Dude Tennis With Ricky Dimon

A podcast discussing the weekly happenings in the wacky world of professional tennis. Hosted by Ben Rothenberg and Courtney Nguyen.

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