Forestalling NCR's imminent quatercentenary ever so slightly, Ben and Tumaini turn on the microphone together for the first time in their shared Paris abode, just to wrap up some loose ends from Rome before our big French Open draw show later this week.

Tumaini discusses the incredible superstar status of Jannik Sinner, who enraptured the public and put on some dominant performances en route to the final, where he was eventually stopped by Carlos Alcaraz.

We also discuss Jasmine Paolini, as well as her mentor Sara Errani, whom we spoke with today at French Open qualifying as she wraps up a memorable singles career.

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.

And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!

Ben is joined by his longtime NYT teammate Christopher Clarey to discuss the release today of his new book, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay, exploring both the prolific 14-time champion at Roland Garros and the dusty red landscape of his triumphs.

Topics include: how Nadal's frenetic, obsessive energy shaped Chris's own writing process, Nadal's language proficiencies (or lack thereof), how the media access landscape has changed over the course of his career reporting on Nadal, Nadal's complex relationships with his top rivals, the specter of doping allegations over Nadal's era, how top athletes like Nadal decide when to stop, the archetype of Spanish masculinity Nadal presents and lack of women in his tennis orbit, and more.

The book is out today, so do check it out!

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.

And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces!

Ben and Tumaini (who can also be watched in a video version of this episode on NCR's Patreon) found a moment to meet up between the end of a wild Madrid and Jannik Sinner's big comeback in Rome.

We discuss the post-apocalyptic vibes of Madrid, including a detailed rundown from Tumaini on how he navigated the power outage early in the event.

Along with discussing the big runs by Casper Ruud, Jack Draper, and Aryna Sabalenka, we discuss what's up with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek.

Then we shift our attention to Rome, where there've been some unideal renovations to some nice Mussolini legacy work, and where Jannik Sinner could pick up right where he left off.

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.

And please check out Ben's new writing home, Bounces! And Tumaini's work at The Guardian!