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 330: Dayana Yastremska on Escaping the War in Ukraine
Episode 329: The Men in Mexico (with Mike Cation)
Episode 328: Our Woman in Dubai (with Reem Abulleil)
Episode 327: Adiós, Delpo
Episode 326: Australian Open - Nadal and Barty’s Fairytale Endings
Episode 325: Australian Open - Semifinal Showdowns
Episode 324: Australian Open - The Slam After the Storm
Episode 323: Djokovic’s Deportation Debacle is Done
Episode 322: 2022 Australian Open Draw Preview
Episode 321: Deciphering Details of Djokovic’s Deportation Drama
Episode 320: Djokovic’s Exemption and The Vibes
Episode 319: Wrapping Up Tennis in December (With Reem Abulleil)
Episode 318: WTA Stands Up Against China For Peng Shuai
Episode 317: Peng Shuai, China, and the End of WTAsia?
Episode 316: NCR Movie Club - KING RICHARD (2021)
Episode 315: Prague Progress Report (with Jannik Schneider)
Episode 314: Backroom Business (With Bret McCormick)
Episode 313: ATP is Investigating Zverev; What Comes Next?
Episode 312: Starting up in San Diego (With Dani Vallverdu)
Episode 311: Bridging the App Gap
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