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 299a: Barcelona, Barty, Belgrade and Boseman (in Brooklyn)
Episode 299: Barty, Bianca, and Boys in Miami
Episode 298: The Empty Miami Open (with Michelle Kaufman)
Episode 297: The Broken Economics of Tennis
Episode 296: The Voids to Fill
Episode 295: Muguruza Wins; Federer Returns; Djokovic Reigns
Episode 294: Our Man in Rotterdam
Episode 293i: Australian Open 2021 - Novak's Ninth
Episode 293h: Australian Open 2021 - Naomi Osaka Wins Her Fourth (and Counting...)
Episode 293g: Australian Open 2021 - Finals Set: Osaka-Brady, Djokovic-Medvedev
Episode 293f: Australian Open 2021 - Semifinal Showdowns Set
Episode 293e: Australian Open 2021 - Day 7: Women's Star Power Shines
Episode 293d: Australian Open 2021 - Round 3 Round-up
Episode 293c: Australian Open 2021 - Day 4: Kenin Falls, Barty Stumbles, Kyrgios Rises
Episode 293b: Australian Open 2021 - Day 3: The Passion of Venus
Episode 293a: Australian Open 2021 - Round 1 Round-up
Episode 292: Australian Open 2021 Draw Show
Episode 291: Stefanos Tsitsipas
Episode 290: The Complaint Department (with Reem Abulleil)
Episode 289: Locked Inside, with Taro Daniel
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