Ben and Tumaini Carayol dust off the NCR machine to bring you a look at the 2023 French Open women's and men's draws, breaking down the contenders and darkhorses while touching on several of the big stories of the past few months while the show has been on hiatus (Relatedly, Ben's forthcoming book on Naomi Osaka is now available for pre-order!)
Can Iga Swiatek reestablish her dominance on the women's side at her favorite tournament? How clear a favorite is Carlos Alcaraz on the men's side?
Before that, we start with a discussion of two notable absences: Rafael Nadal, the 14-time champion who hasn't played in months due to a persistent psoas injury, and Simona Halep, a former champion and #1 who has taken an increasingly vocal and outspoken stance as she tries to rally support against anti-doping authorities following her positive test for a blood doping agent last year.
We also discuss the extended formats of the Madrid and Rome Masters 1000 events, changes which have been poorly received across the board.
Thanks for listening! Bon voyage, bonne chance, bonne nuit!
Episode 177f: Australian Open Day 10-12: Dream Finals
Episode 177e: Australian Open Day 8-9: Growing Old, Moving Up
Episode 177d: Australian Open Day 5-7: Zverevving Up for the Second Week
Episode 177c: Australian Open Day 4: Djokovic Derails
Episode 177b: Australian Open Day 3: On Losing, With Peter Polansky
Episode 177a: Australian Open Day 1-2: Petko and the Children
Episode 176: Australian Open Draw Show
Episode 175b: Still Remembering When
Episode 175a: Ana, Auckland, and Anamneses
Episode 174: Kvitova and Kicking Back With Questions #2
Episode 173: Kicking Back With Questions #1
Episode 172: Stuffed With Gratitude
Episode 171: Regime Change
Episode 170: The Boys Are Back in Town
Episode 169: Steve Simon (and the Streams)
Episode 168: Sinking, Tanking, and Politicking
Episode 167: The Sharapova Resolution
Episode 166: Keeping the Faith in Tennis
Episode 165f: U.S. Open - Kerber, Wawrinka Win; We Punch Out
Episode 165e: U.S. Open - Finals Reckoning
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Served with Andy Roddick
Diary of a Professional Tennis Coach
Nothing Major
Doubles Only Tennis Podcast
Tennis Unfiltered