No Challenges Remaining

No Challenges Remaining Tennis Podcast

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

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#447
Yesterday · 1 hr 18 min
U.S. Open Quarterfinals: On Great Matches and Long, Long Nights
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.
#446
Tuesday · 36 min
U.S. Open Fourth Round Into Quarterfinals: Bob, Five Years, and Taiwan
Ben and Tumaini return to Grandstand to record this episode shortly after show favorite Botic van de Zandschulp (known here as Bob van de Slap) wins through to the U.S. Open quarterfinals with a five-set comeback win over Arthur Gea. We talk about Naomi Osaka's loss and the stubborn 5.5 year ceiling in Grand Slam tennis (more on that on Bounces soon), plus more on Zheng Qinwen, Elena Rybakina, and the Taiwanese feud of families. 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.
#445
Monday · 56 min
U.S. Open: The View From Midway Through
Ben and Tumaini are on Court 5, this time, watching Ben Shelton practice returns as they talk about the middle stages of the U.S. Open, including third and fourth round matches. We discuss topics including Carlos Alcaraz leveling up, tough losses for Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys, big wins for Frances Tiafoe and Linda Noskova, the great Jovic-Eala match, Serena fleeing the scene after her tough loss and not doing press, and the disrepair of the U.S. Open's media areas. 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.
#444
September 4 · 56 min
U.S. Open Rd 2: Under the Influencers
Ben and Tumaini are back together, this time as they watch the zenlike experience of powerwashing the Grandstand court. We cover various second round topics, including Fran Jones' remarkable story, Aryna Sabalenka snapping at a reporter, ITIA investigating the DraftKings party, Gael Monfils' seeking an office job, Felix Auger-Aliassime's benefit of the doubt, Rafael Jodar's inexperience, Ben's bucket list schedule-making story, and world feed weirdness. We then, like everyone else, weigh into "influencer" discourse, which has been one of many hot topics at this tournament as ring lights and narcissism crowd the grounds. Who is and isn't an "influencer", anyhow? Is there space or value for them in tennis? 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.
#443
September 2 · 37 min
U.S. Open Rd 1: Djokovic's Downfall, Fils Fizzles Against Tsitsipas, Rybakina, Kalshi, and More
Ben and Tumaini are back in the media garden outside of Ashe to discuss the nearly completed first round of the U.S. Open, in which Carlos Alcaraz made an impressive comeback and Novak Djokovic suffered a slow and painful exit. We also discuss Arthur Fils' surprise loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, a nice win by Gael Monfils, Elena Rybakina playing through pain, and Naomi Osaka's latest fashion statement. We also discuss the U.S. Open's "trashy" deal with Kalshi, and Mary Carillo's amazing induction speech in Newport. 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.
#442
August 29 · 1 hr 44 min
2026 U.S. Open Draw Show
Ben and Tumaini are back together in New York, ready to break down the U.S. Open men's and women's draws, and all the stories therein. We discuss Sabalenka's struggles, Rybakina's chance at the No. 1 ranking, Gauff's resurgence, Noskova's (lack of) motivation, and more. On the men's side, we discuss Djokovic's great chances, what to expect from Alcaraz, Djokovic's great chances, both Tiafoe and Fils coming off their historic Cincinnati final, and more. We also talk a bit about the mixed doubles results, and our feelings about Nick Kyrgios after his positive cocaine test. 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.
#441
August 20 · 1 hr 39 min
Summer Swings: Cincinnati, Canada, Genetic Testing and More
In the second (and longer) part of their recording session this week, Ben and Tumaini fanned out into a range of recent events topics from the last month of tennis, catching up on what's been both a busy yet also quiet stretch of the season. We start with the uncertainties around Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz for New York, after both missed both Canada and Cincinnati. We also discuss Alcaraz's cornrows (remember those?). Of players who did play up north, we discuss champs Ben Shelton and Iga Swiatek. We also catch up on rising stars Alex Eala and Rafael Jodar, both of whom are inspiring strong reactions. We also cover the Marketa Vondrousova doping ban decision in full, and also the WTA's decision to start doing genetic sex tests on its players, news first broken on Bounces. Tumaini then closes the show by describing his in-person experience going to see Ms. Lauryn Hill. 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.
#440
August 19 · 50 min
The Present and Future of Venus and Serena
Catching up after a month away from the mic, Ben and Tumaini discuss events and characters of the past month, catching up with recent events in Cincinnati. And we had so much to say about the present states of the defining players of our tennis lives, Venus and Serena Williams, that we decided to make this lengthy first topic of discussion into a standalone episode. Venus and Serena brought us both into tennis; how should these legends leave the sport, now that it's become increasingly clear that their time as competitive players has run out? More on everything else—Canada withdrawals, Shelton, Swiatek, Vondrousova, Eala, Jodar, genetic testing, Lauryn Hill—soon, but we clearly had a lot to say about the Williams Sisters in what looks like their closing chapter. 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.
#439
July 13 · 45 min
Wimbledon Finals: Sinner d. Zverev, Noskova d. Muchova
In their last Court 15 recording of the fortnight, Ben and Tumaini talk about the women's and men's finals at Wimbledon, in which sleeper pick Linda Noskova recovered from what could've been a nightmare hiccup to win the all-Czech women's final over Karolina Muchova, and Jannik Sinner won a serving contest against Alexander Zverev. We discuss getting to know Noskova (Knowskova?) and where she goes from here, and how important this title was for Jannik Sinner--and how important Montreal should be for him. 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.
#438
July 9 · 48 min
Wimbledon Semifinals: Czech-Off; Gauff So Close; Ferytale Sinner-Djokovic Preview
In a rare before-sunset recording, Ben and Tumaini talk about the women's semifinals at Wimbledon, in which sleeper pick Linda Noskova rolled and Coco Gauff lost a heartbreaker against Karolina Muchova after having a match point and what might've been an easy forehand. We preview the all-Czech women's final, and then transition to the men, who are still yet to play their semifinals. We discuss Arthur Fery's fairytale run, his small height, wealthy background, and dual citizenship. Does he have a shot against Zverev? Maybe! We then discuss how the Sinner-Djokovic semifinal might be different this time compared to the last time in Melbourne. 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.
#437
July 7 · 40 min
Wimbledon Midway: Djokovic d. FAA; Osaka Beats Sabalenka But Loses to Muchova
After being delayed by a day by a Wimbledon Fery-tale, Ben and Tumaini returned to Court 15 at Wimbledon once more to cover the third round and the top half quarterfinals, which concluded with Novak Djokovic's epic win over Felix Auger-Aliassime in more than five hours. We discuss the men, including those guys, Arthur Fery, Taylor Fritz, and more. We break for the Djokovic and Auger-Aliassime press conferences. We then discuss the women, particularly sleeper pick Linda Noskova, the impressive run of Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka's incredible win over Aryna Sabalenka, which was followed by a loss to a very sharp Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals. 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.
#436
July 4 · 56 min
Wimbledon 2026 Round 3: Eala, Doubles Debates, Dimitrov, Mochizuki, Osaka
Ben and Tumaini returned to Court 15 at Wimbledon once more to catch up on the third round, and a behind-the-scenes debate that's generated a lot of conversation: the ATP's proposals to reduce the footprint of doubles. We discuss the business realities and the arguments that doubles players and fans are fielding to push back in this uphill battle, given recent realities of the tour. We then dive into the Wimbledon results, which means revisiting Shintaro Mochizuki and Grigor Dimitrov, plus Roman Safiullin and Arthur Fery. We then go to the women, where the big result was Alex Eala knocking out defending champion Iga Swiatek. We also discuss Ashlyn Krueger, Naomi Osaka, and more. 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.
#435
July 2 · 34 min
Wimbledon 2026 Round 2: Dimitrov, Djokovic, Osaka, Serena's Doubles Doubts
Ben and Tumaini went back to their spot on Court 15 at Wimbledon to chat about the second round action, which was without any massive shocks but still entertained and intrigued. We start with the men and the great Shintaro Mochizuki, who is into the third round of a Slam for the first time. We then cover Djokovic crushing Tsitsipas, the big win by Grigor Dimitrov (whose presser is an intermission in this episode), as well as the rest of the fellas. We then move to the women, including Tumaini's story from Jelena Ostapenko about trying to confront burglars, Naomi Osaka's grass comfort, Krejcikova d. Andreeva, Alex Eala readying to face Iga Swiatek, and the doubts around doubles for Serena. 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.
#434
July 1 · 36 min
2026 Wimbledon Round 1: Serena Impresses in Loss; Sinner Struggles; Brits Broken
Ben and Tumaini found a spot on Court 15 at Wimbledon to chat about the first round action at the Championships, which reached its climax with Serena Williams' highly anticipated return to singles. We talk about what looked great from Serena, what didn't, and what it was like to witness and experience her again after all these years, even if it was just one match because of how well Maya Joint played. We also discussed Jannik Sinner's uninspiring five-set start, Ben Shelton's loss, and the massive struggles for the Brits here, including the injuries for both Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu. 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.
#433
June 27 · 1 hr 21 min
Wimbledraw 2026, and Vondrousova's Very Bad Idea
Ben and Tumaini are back together once more, this time at Wimbledon, where there's lots of stories in both draws, including Serena Williams' return to singles. We start, though, with the news of 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova getting a four-year ban for refusing a drug test late last year. What was she thinking? Why was this ITIA decision inevitable? We then jump into the draws, starting with the women where Sabalenka is the top seed, Pegula is Ben's pick, and Serena has taken up lots of room in the Wimagination this year. We then switch to the men, and ask the question: even after the shocking French Open collapse, is it still Jannik Sinner vs. the Field? Thank you for listening! 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.
#432
June 10 · 57 min
Serena Returns; 2026 French Open Ends
Ben and Tumaini are no longer together in Paris, but catch up on the finish in France as well as the event that had Tumaini rushing back to London: Serena Williams' return to professional tennis. We start with Serena's comeback with Tumaini's perspective from on the ground at Queen's Club: how did she look after four years away? What's it like being back in her orbit? Where does she go from here? We then look back at the French Open, starting with the women where Mirra Andreeva consolidated years of teen phenom hype and Maja Chwalinska was one of the most shocking Slam finalists ever. We also discuss the discussion around the men's champion, Alexander Zverev, about whom TV broadcasters badly failed their audiences. Thank you for listening! 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.
#431
June 4 · 1 hr 3 min
2026 French Open Quarterfinals: Sabalenka's Shock Collapse and More
Ben and Tumaini discuss the eight quarterfinals played at Roland Garros and the semifinals that are now set up, starting with the men and going in reverse chronological order. We start with Arnaldi winning The Battle Of The Matteos, setting up an all-Italian semifinal against Flavio Cobolli after Cobolli handed Felix Auger-Aliassime a bitter defeat. On the bottom half, we discuss Jakub Mensik stepping up against Joao Fonseca, and if anyone can stop heavy favorite Alexander Zverev, who has breezed through a pretty soft draw. On the women's side, we start with the shocking loss of No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who seemed to be in full control before losing 12 of the last 13 games against Diana Shnaider to crash out. There were echoes of last year's defeat to Gauff, but this year's press conference was more good humored. We then discuss the surprise run of Maja Chwalinska and the strong Kostyuk-Andreeva semifinal on the bottom half. Lastly, we get into the news that the Serena comeback is now official, even if we really have no idea what to expect yet as Serena hasn't set any expectations yet. A reminder that is still a 15% discount on Bounces subscriptions during this French Open! Thank you for listening! 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.
#430
June 2 · 39 min
2026 French Open Middle Stages: One Battle After Another
Ben and Tumaini are back after the third and fourth rounds of what's turned into a wild and thrilling French Open, particularly on the men's side where the post-Sinner free-for-all has produced stunning full-length battles over and over and over again. We discuss Fonseca d. Djokovic, Jodar and the ball girl, Arnaldi d. Tiafoe, and Zverev's clear status as the favorite to win. We also discuss the women's side exits of Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek. And we're sorry that Ben's phone died mid-reading the Patrons list off of it! A reminder that is still a 15% discount on Bounces subscriptions during this French Open! Thank you for listening! 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.
#429
May 29 · 58 min
2026 French Open: Sinner Collapses; What's Left Without Him?
Ben and Tumaini come together after one of the most shocking matches of our tennis lifetimes, with prohibitive favorite Jannik Sinner taking a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 lead before promptly stopping winning points and games, ultimately listlessly falling in five sets to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. This episode has two big components: what happened to Sinner and why, and what's left of the field without him. Somebody else, stunningly, is going to win the 2026 French Open. But whom? A reminder that is still a 15% discount on Bounces subscriptions during this French Open! Thank you for listening! 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.
#428
May 27 · 43 min
2026 French Open Round 1: Glittering Gold and Dripping Sweat
Ben and Tumaini wrap up the first round at this 2026 French Open, where it's been very hot and a bunch of the top 10 seeds haven't looked so hot, particularly on the men's side. On the women's side, the car crashes have somehow been literal, but Naomi Osaka's fashion moment was a big hit in all the best ways. Also some Bounces items mentioned: there's a 15% discount on subscriptions during this French Open, and you can read the recent pieces on Oleksandra Oliynykova and Emma Navarro at the links. Thank you for listening! 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.

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