Podcast Summary: The Player's Box – Episode 17 | Offseason Training, Holiday Gift Guides & Year End Awards

Overview

In this spirited and candid episode, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk invite listeners into their off-court world as they discuss offseason training routines, swap holiday gift recommendations, and playfully hand out unofficial year-end tennis awards. As always, the crew’s dynamic banter delivers insightful behind-the-scenes stories and plenty of laughter, making this both a must-listen for tennis fans and anyone curious about the lives of elite athletes when the cameras are off.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unforced Errors of the Week (01:09–13:14)

• Jenny Brady’s Week from Hell (01:30)
  • Jenny recounts a rough string of mishaps: smashing her racket out of frustration, nearly using her car keys instead of her room key, and experiencing a rare bloody nose.
• Madison Keys’ Travel Miracle (02:28)
  • Maddie celebrates an unexpectedly smooth travel day, describing it as “the easiest travel day of my entire life,” a rarity on the circuit.
• Jess Pegula’s Doggy Drama (02:59)
  • Jess shares an emotional tale: her dog had a glaucoma emergency, resulting in overnight vet visits, an emergency surgery to remove her eye, and a sleepless night punctuated by a surprise doping check:

    “I got home, I probably went to bed at like, 4am. 7am doping comes. I was like, you're joking, right? Does doping ever come when you have, like, a normal night's sleep? Never.” (04:02)

• Desirae Krawczyk’s Reality TV Algorithm (06:55)
  • Desirae lightens the mood with a bizarre story from the reality show “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” involving “fruity pebble gate,” earning consensus that, “Jess, you win the unforced error of the week.”
• Honorable Mention: The Charlotte ‘Exo’ Line Call Controversy (08:32)
  • Maddie explains a technical mishap at an exhibition, where electronic line-calling contradicted itself:

    “The ball is on the line, but it called it out... the ruling is confused.” (08:51)

  • The group ponders what should happen in a sanctioned match—Maddie clarifies they replayed the point, adding, “If this happened in a real match, I'd be losing my mind.” (10:00)

2. Offseason and Preseason Routines (17:57–25:38)

• Desirae’s Comeback after Medical Procedure (18:24)
  • Des describes easing back into training following an egg-freezing cycle, emphasizing the challenge of rebuilding routines.
• Jess’ Transition Back to Hitting and Exos (19:08)
  • Jess discusses preparing for exhibition matches after a three-week break, noting each offseason feels different: “I actually have felt okay this week... besides, like, the hand situation.”
• Madison on Post-Season Burnout and Recovery (20:19)
  • Maddie admits she was “low key on my deathbed post-Saudi,” highlighting the physical toll of the end-of-year calendar.
• Jenny on Prolonged Injury Layoff (21:25)
  • Jenny, coming off an 18-month layoff, notes the stark contrast:

    “Some things that you never thought would hurt, hurt.”

• The Importance and Irony of Routine (22:03)
  • Everyone enjoys returning to structure, despite always longing for an offseason:

    “We're so insane... after two and a half weeks off I was like, what am I gonna do?” (23:40 – Madison)

• Vacations and Life Highlights (25:25)
  • Desirae will split time between Hawaii and tennis with captain Lindsay Davenport; the group jokes about post-event “rotting on the couch” as a key activity.

3. Holiday Gift Guides: Player Picks for Everything! (27:00–43:00)

Categories spanned beauty, travel, pet gear, home hacks, kitchen gadgets, travel clothes, tennis gear, tech, trackers—here are some highlights and quotes:

• Beauty Product
  • Madison: “La Roche Posay sunscreen or the LED face mask.” (27:31)
  • Jess: Silicone facial cleansing brushes—“easy to travel with.”
• Travel Product
  • Madison: “The Coop camping pillow… I influenced everyone to buy.” (28:41)
  • Desirae: “Add the little vacuum seal thing for it if you are traveling, because that's clutch.” (29:01)
• Dog Items
  • Desirae: “Ring camera—caught Pluto on the table!” (30:26)
  • Jess: “Benny Bones… and BarkBox subscription for themed dog toys and treats.” (31:06)
• Home Hacks
  • Jess: “Eight Sleep—the cooling mattress topper. Changed my life.” (32:04)
  • Madison: “Remote-controlled outlet plugs for lamps—no more twisty thing!” (32:29)
  • Jenny: “Alexa, turn the light on.” (33:13)
• Kitchen Appliances
  • Jess: “KitchenAid rice cooker... I was influenced by Jennifer Garner’s Instagram.” (34:13)
  • Desirae: “Breville oven… just throw things in there, does everything.” (35:07)
• Travel Clothing
  • Desirae: “Vuori dream knit sets, but also Nike pants.”
  • Madison: “Literally look like I rolled out of bed every time in an airport.”
• Tennis Rackets
  • Jess & Madison: Same favorite.
  • Desirae & Jenny: Both love the Babolat Aero.
• Headphones
  • Jess/Madison/Desirae: “Bose Open Ear—so comfortable, can still hear ambient noise.” (37:10)
  • Jenny: “$9.99 Walgreens wired headphones. They stay in my ears!” (38:31)
• Hair Tools & Brushes
  • Jenny: “The Detangler hairbrush—Kardashian-influenced.” (39:06)
  • Madison: “Kristen Ess curling iron—five years strong.” (39:34)
  • Desirae: “Shark blow dryer—bring it everywhere.” (40:14)
• Tracking Devices & Apps
  • Madison: “Oura ring” (40:23)
  • Desirae: “Apple AirTags for tracking bags. Love seeing where my bags are.” (40:44)
  • Jess: “Timeshifter app for mitigating jet lag—enter flights and get sleep/caffeine/light tips.” (41:07)
  • Jenny: “Apple Watch.” (42:03)
  • Group Honorable Mention: “Hatch alarm for gentle wake ups.” (42:23)

4. Year-End Tennis Awards: Player's Box Style (44:46–50:16)

The group doles out their own lighthearted year-end honors, blending WTA and ATP:

• Match of the Year
  • Unanimous: Roland Garros Men's Final (45:09)
• Best Slam Moment
  • Group honors go to: “Maddie winning Aussie Open. We all cried.” (45:19)
• Best 1000 Tournament Moment
  • Jenny: “Ben winning Toronto.” (45:37)
  • Jess: “Mira winning back-to-back 1000s.”
• Best 500 Tournament Moment
  • Jess: “Maddie winning Adelaide then AO—insane run.” (46:06)
• Most Improved
  • Women: “Imboko. Winning a 1000 is pretty insane.” (46:40)
  • Men: “Ben went from like 12 to 8.” (46:59)
• Comeback Player
  • Women: “Bencic.”
  • Men: “Marin Cilic.” (48:12)
• Newcomer
  • Women: “Ayala.”
  • Men: “Fonseca. Learner.” (48:24)
• Sportsmanship Award
  • “Blinky—Blinky of it.” (jokingly, player’s nickname) (48:43)
• Coach of the Year
  • Group: “Bjorn.” (49:00)
• Doubles Team of the Year
  • “Errani. Taylor and Cat also crushed it.” (49:13)
• Player of the Year
  • “Amanda. Maddie and Amanda. Rybakina’s late surge—‘crushing it’... Sabalenka, too.” (49:33, 49:52)
  • Emotional nod: “Amanda backing up her bad loss to come back and just do that again—kudos to her strength.” (50:00)

5. "Who Am I?" Game & Closing (51:29–54:47)

• Reveal from last week
  • Maddie's player: “Ash Barty”
• Jenny’s Turn
  • Clue: “Reached number one in the world, won a 2008 silver medal, two siblings at the top of the game, but only one lifted major trophies.” (51:44)
• Signature Signoff Shenanigans
  • Amid “Jenny meltdown” and laughter, the group wraps up promising a mini-episode for fan questions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jess on returning to routine:

  “Going to bed when you feel like you worked really hard is the best feeling.” (22:15)

• Maddie on the off-season paradox:

  “...we just complain about, like, God, the year’s so long. And then we're like, oh, we're so happy to be back in our routine...” (23:50)

• Desirae’s candid travel prep:

  “I'm usually wearing black because she gets sweaty rushing through the airport.”

• Group energy:

  “It's just fun—three women getting to like talk about random things.” (15:13 — Keys on the Charlotte influencer meet-up)

• Brady’s joke on low-tech headphones:

  “$9.99 wired headphones from Walgreens. We'll make sure we link those in the gift guide...” (38:31)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Unforced Errors of the Week: 01:09–13:14
• Automatic Line Call Controversy (Charlotte Exo): 08:32–13:14
• Exhibition Recaps/Charlotte Stories: 13:05–17:00
• Offseason Training & Routines: 17:57–25:38
• Gift Guide Segment: 27:00–43:00
• Year-End Awards: 44:46–50:16
• "Who Am I?" Game & Wrap-Up: 51:29–54:47

Tone & Language

The episode is fun, conversational, and gently self-deprecating—an authentic hangout between friends who happen to be elite athletes. They blend tennis insight with jokes and relatable gripes about travel, routines, and the struggle to find the perfect silk pillowcase.

Perfect for listeners who want a peek behind the pro tennis curtain—with laughter, camaraderie, and life hacks galore.