No Challenges Remaining

The Djokovic deportation drama dragged deliriously Down Under, feeling a whole 'nother Grand Slam's worth of drama and intrigue before finally resolving itself on Sunday with a panel of judges upholding a second deportation order and sending Djokovic on a flight out of Australia soon after.

Paul Sakkal, whose coverage of the political sides of this story has been extraordinarily insightful, and who got rave reviews for his first appearance on NCR at the onset of this saga, joins Ben once more to explain what happened, and to contemplate questions ahead.

Why did the government change its tactics so drastically for Round 2 of proceedings? Does this case raise civil liberties concerns? What will the fallout be for Tennis Australia? And will this do anything to help the plight of the refugees?

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After a pretty flat opening round (and week before at Melbourne Park) the Australian Open seemed to be jolted to life on Wednesday night by Nick Kyrgios, and several other intriguing moments emerged on Thursday as well.

Ben and Courtney discuss their concerns about #1 Ash Barty, who struggled down the stretch. They also discuss the strangely self-defeating attitude of #4 Sofia Kenin, who bowed out under a blanket of pressure which seemed to be entirely of her own knitting.

Then Ben chats with Quentin Moynet of L'Equipe about the Kyrgios-Humbert match, Gael Monfils' emotions, and his impressions of the tournament so far from on the ground in Melbourne.

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With their preamble out of the way, Ben and Tumaini dig into the 2023 Wimbledon women's and men's draws to discuss the favorites and other notable names among the 256 players competing for the singles crowns at SW19.

Both respective top seeds, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, have their stocks rising after strong grass lead-ups. Have they improved enough to contend for the Wimbledon title?

We discuss the bottom-heavy women's draw, the continuing joy of Venus Williams, the struggles of Matteo Berrettini (who was the one player in his generation who seemed like a natural on grass), the retirements of Anett Kontaveit and Milos Raonic, the opportunity for Jannik Sinner, and the enduring juggernaut that is Novak Djokovic.

Enjoy!

The tennis season, save for that pesky Davis Cup final, is finally over, and so Ben and Courtney digest it (before the heavier duty digestion of Thanksgiving) by discussing who the men's player of the year should be. Andy Murray is the year-end #1 after winning London, but there's a sturdy case to be made for Novak Djokovic, too.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, Ben and Courtney then serve themselves heaping helpings of thankfulness for things we treasure in tennis and beyond. It's a gravy boat of gratitude.

To close, Courtney likes a movie and Ben's rant...disappeared?

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