What semblance of stability there had been in the women's draw disappeared with Iga Swiatek's loss on Wednesday to Maria Sakkari, making it four first-time Slam semifinalists in the final four of the French Open.
Hall of Famer Pam Shriver joins Ben to discuss the women's draw, and the high-quality tennis that has led to an unlikely semifinal slate which also includes Barbora Krejcikova, who defeated Coco Gauff earlier on Wednesday.
We also discuss the chalk on the men's draw, where sure things Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal advanced through four-setters to set up yet another big time meeting in the semifinals. How will that big showdown in the semifinals influence the final?
Thank you again for the incredible support for NCR we've received on the NCR Patreon which has powered us into our TENTH(!) season! Please consider joining in as we bring you the best shows we can during the French Open! And thank you to the many listeners who have already given their support! (And thank you to G.O.A.T. backers J O'D, Mike, Pam Shriver, and Nicole Copeland!)

Episode 301d: French Open Day 11 - Women Open Up, Top Men March Onward (With Pam Shriver)

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

Sports

Tennis

To dive further into "Challengers," the much-buzzed-about tennis movie coming out this Friday, Ben chats with the movie's screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes about his inspiration to tell a story about the unique emotional landscape of tennis.
We discuss the infamous match that planted the initial seed of desperation, the details tennis heads are appreciating (including the Applebee's near the Cincinnati tournament), introducing the sometimes convoluted structure of tennis to a general audience, the eroticism of tennis, and possible similarities with his wife Celine Song's acclaimed 2023 film "Past Lives."
Thanks for listening!

Episode 366: "Challengers" Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes

Ben and AJ Eccles attended screenings of the new movie CHALLENGERS this week, and are here to discuss this bold new entry into the growing tennis movie canon (NB: we very carefully avoided any significant spoilers until a very clearly marked intermission at the 41-minute mark).
Directed by Luca Guadanigno and starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist, we discuss how CHALLENGERS compares to recent tennis movies like KING RICHARD and BATTLE OF THE SEXES, and how fiction can actually allow for greater truths.
We also discuss what big and small things new movie gets right about the experience of life on the professional tennis tour, what it explains about tennis culture, and how the campy action sequences do or don't affect the film. We also discuss what the film shows that Netflix's Break Point failed to do.
Again, no spoilers until 41 minutes into the show (and even then we hardly give away everything). AJ also wrote about CHALLENGERS for The Second Serve, so please do check that out as well! Thanks for listening!

Episode 365: "Challengers" Changes the Tennis Movie Genre

Ben and Tumaini reconvened this week to react to the news that the WTA Finals are going to Saudi Arabia, a move that felt unfathomable five years ago but has more recently felt inevitable. What do we make of the news? Should women's sports be held to a different standard when it comes to selling out? And what does the deal say about both the recent past and near future of women's tennis?
We then shift to a conversation about the proposed Premier Tour, a radical revamp described in detail in an interview of USTA CEO Lew Sherr in his interview with  Jon Wertheim. What would tennis be losing with massive streamlining? Would the gains offset the losses?
We also discuss the cancellation of Netflix's Break Point after two seasons. In a time of discord in tennis, nearly everyone can agree on how disappointing it was; what went wrong?
Next time, a review of Luca Guadanigno's Challengers!

Episode 364: WTA Goes Saudi; Huge Premier Tour Changes on the Table

Ben and Tumaini answer listener questions and recap the month that was in March, where Indian Wells and Miami formed the Sunshine Double and changed some of the forecasts of the sport.
We start with Indian Wells, where Swiatek and Alcaraz won their second titles and Novak Djokovic lost early and bailed on the swing. We then head to Miami, where Danielle Collins won the biggest title of her career and Jannik Sinner cemented his spot as the dominant player on tour. We also discuss recent form of Dimitrov, Gauff, Sabalenka, and more.
From our mailbag, we also discuss the fairness and merits of wild cards (including for returning dopers), the shrinking status of the Miami Open.
(Another episode soon on the huge changes afoot on tour from the Saudi money and Premier Tour jockeying!)

Episode 363: Sun Shines on Sinner, Collins, Swiatek and Alcaraz

Picking up where we left off on the last episode, Ben and Tumaini cover several other big stories from the first part of this season. We talk about the diverging fates of Brits in tennis, as Andy Murray sets a dispirited retirement date while Katie Boulter surges to a new high.
We then spend quite a while on the health of women's tennis as a product, which seems to be getting left in the dust while the men surge, with no apparent strategy for building interest in their product. What can be done? And how transformative can the looming infusion of Saudi cash be? (Here's a link to a separate Cracked Racquets podcast Ben did on the Saudi ATP sponsorship.)
We also catch up on recent results in men's tennis, talk about the pleasant alternate tennis universe that is the South American "Golden Swing," and cover the Netflix Slam (we recorded before Break Point was cancelled), with a bit on its uncertain star Rafael Nadal.
Thanks for listening!

Episode 301d: French Open Day 11 - Women Open Up, Top Men March Onward (With Pam Shriver)

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