No Challenges Remaining

Ben is joined by Ricky Dimon, post-marathon, to talk about another grueling yet less rewarding slog: the 2026 season of men's tennis.

After some general thoughts and harsh grades, we discuss this strange year which hinged almost entirely on Jannik Sinner, and came fully unhinged when Sinner fell off the board midway through the season. We also discuss how much credit Zverev deserves for his season, and if he was the "Player of the Year" or not, despite finishing at #1.

We also cover some recent events, including the state of the race to Turin, Medvedev's default in Beijing, and the future of men's doubles. 

Thank you for listening! You can read Ben's work at Bounces and Tumaini's at The Guardian. Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver and J. O'D.

Thanks for sending in all of your questions for our October mailbag! Y'all wanted to tackle some big, broad topics, and so we did our best to do those justice.

First, Ben and Tumaini catch up on some rare respective R&R at home, which for Tumaini included covering Davis Cup and Laver Cup events in London--and Tumaini explaining what part of Laver Cup made him feel like he was going crazy.

We then get into the mailbag, which includes discussion of what changes we think tennis most needs and which are most possible, and also doubles reform discussion.

We then get into Jannik Sinner's lengthy absence and how the lack of information around it has caused speculation to inevitably creep into the void.

We then get into monotony and homogeneity in ATP playing styles, and then turn to the topic which was the center of most questions and comments: the current state of the WTA, its apparent financial issues, and how much lucrative prize money might be to blame. (Ben cites this clip, for reference.)

Lastly, a brief elegy for Tennis.com.

Ben and Tumaini are together in person for the last time this year to talk about the U.S. Open finals and their champions.

We start with the men's final, in which Ben Shelton could not overcome the serve and steadiness of Alexander Zverev (and his lengthy, erratic ball-bouncing). Do Zverev's two Slam wins meaningfully shift the landscape of men's tennis, or does this all feel like an intermission?

We then turn to the women, where Elena Rybakina produced a far more emphatic championship performance, beating Aryna Sabalenka (and sending her crashing out early and often) and ascending to the No. 1 post on the WTA Tour. How will Rybakina wear the crown going forward?

It's been a long U.S. Open, and we thank you for being there with us throughout it. 

Thank you for listening! You can read Ben's work at Bounces and Tumaini's at The Guardian. Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini are recording out on Court 6, where a safari of intrepid influencers are trespassing and posing to their hearts' contents as we break down the semifinals on the men's and women's side.

In the all-American semifinal, Ben Shelton bested Frances Tiafoe, with big serving and greatly improved returning. What are his chances of reversing a rough head-to-head against Zverev in the final? 

And on the women's side, it'll be a second Rybakina-Sabalenka this final, as both beat Americans to book their spots.

Thank you for listening! You can read Ben's work at Bounces and Tumaini's at The Guardian. Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver and J. O'D.

Ben and Tumaini are tired but wired to talk about the U.S. Open quarterfinals, particularly Tuesday's slate which turned into the longest day in U.S. Open history.

We discuss Sabalenka d. Noskova, Tiafoe d. Michelsen, and Shelton d. Alcaraz particularly, and also then the issue around late finishes and how it should or shouldn't trigger a reckoning abut best-of-five. (We don't agree on this!)  

Thank you for listening! You can read Ben's work at Bounces and Tumaini's at The Guardian. Our Patreon is back up and running to ensure NCR keeps going and stays ad-free, and we hope you can join in supporting NCR! And we especially thank our GOAT backers: Pam Shriver and J. O'D.