No Challenges Remaining

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ben and Tumaini get back together at their kitchen table in Paris, discussing events of Rome, where the biggest story was Jannik Sinner making ATP history. We discuss the enormity of Jannik Sinner having won all nine Masters 1000 events, and how the ATP's term for it is deeply suboptimal. It's not the most suspenseful tour right now, but it's impressive. We also discuss the far more unpredictable women's field, including champion Elina Svitolina as well as Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Sorana Cirstea, and more. We also discuss boycott talk (we don't think it's plausible but it's still notable), and the Italian Federation's stated goal of making Rome into the official "Fifth Slam." 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.