The Player’s Box – Episode 22 Summary

Episode Title: Australian Open, One Point Slam & Tennis Headlines
Date: January 20, 2026
Hosts: Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, Desirae Krawczyk

Episode Overview

This episode of The Player’s Box is a lively, behind-the-scenes look at the 2026 Australian Open. The hosts—professional tennis players Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk—offer candid stories from the tour, react to fresh tennis headlines, and share their takes on wild new formats like the “One Point Slam.” They mix practical talk (scheduling, kits, health updates) with plenty of laughs, quirky anecdotes, food tips, and debates over tennis (and rock-paper-scissors) traditions.

Unforced Errors & Winners of the Week (01:11–07:49)

• Jenny Brady (01:40): Left her credit card at a restaurant while focusing on her “mom’s anxiety tips.”

  "I was literally about to get on i4 and I was like, no, I'm not coming back. Like, there's no way." (02:06)

• Jessica Pegula (02:56): Counts a trip to see MJ the Musical as her “winner”—noting the awkward fun of her coach repeatedly telling random people about it.

  "He'll just, like, see random people and be like, yeah, we're hitting up MJ Friday. And people are like, what are you talking about?" (03:13)

• Desirae Krawczyk (04:35): Laundry mishap while traveling led to washing her whites in the bathtub by hand before a match.

  "My whites were ruined... So, I put my whites in the bathtub... just did my little whites cleaning." (04:35)

• Madison Keys (05:25): Defeated anti-doping nerves and a tight airport connection to make her flight from Adelaide to Melbourne; admits everyone teases her about her NFL ignorance.

  • Bonus: Detailed her indulgent McDonald's airport food order, sparking debate about fries in McFlurries.

    "I went a McCrispy, and I got nuggets, and I got a 6ft Snuggits one, a large fry, and an Oreo Blizzard. And then I obviously dip the fries in the McFlurry." (07:11)

Tournament Updates & Partnerships (07:49–10:08)

• Desirae’s Adelaide run: Finished doubles runner-up with Lyudmila Kichenok—first time pairing.

  "Making finals and not playing together before is pretty good." (08:58)

  • Notes how contrasting serve styles helped their doubles dynamic.

• Jess skips Adelaide:

  • Chose to stay in Melbourne after a tough preseason.

  "Playing four matches, four days in a row in Brisbane... was just a lot." (10:05)

The “One Point Slam” Phenomenon (11:17–16:57)

• Full breakdown and reactions to the new mini-tournament:

  • Format: 128 draw, each match is one point only. Pros get one serve, amateurs two; serve/return determined by rock-paper-scissors ("scissors, paper, rock" in Australia).

    “No one wanted to serve, everyone... People were getting so tight.” – Madison (12:57)

    • Notable gaffes (missed serves from big names like Francis Tiafoe, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff).

  • Champion:

    • Australian amateur Jordan Smith wins.

      “I was really happy to see that the amateur won.” – Madison (13:25)

  • Would the hosts serve or return?

    • Jess & Jenny: “Receive.” (14:05)
    • Desirae: “Serve!” (14:06). Explains her lefty-slice tactics.

  • Coco Gauff’s meltdown:

    • Jess describes hitting with Coco pre-event:

      “She was talking about, like, I just don't want to serve... I'm gonna be so nervous. And then obviously, didn't go well.” (14:55)

  • Favorite moments:

    • Medvedev vs. Amanda Anisimova; Sakkari vs. carlos Alvarez; close coach point vs. Carlos.

Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Great Debate (17:01–21:28)

• Spirited disagreement over whether to go on “shoot” or show on “scissors.”

  Jess (18:08): “Shoot is self explanatory... it's always shoot.”
  Des (19:03): “I've done it where you... show your hand on scissors.”

• International confusion and cultural variants discussed. Intense group texts ensued.

  “I was very upset at Desiree for going on scissors.” – Jess (21:19)

Headlines & Fun Tennis Facts (21:42–25:16)

• Medvedev’s achievement: 22 titles in 22 different cities.

  “That's pretty freaking cool.” – Jenny (22:00)

• Andreeva’s “I’d like to thank myself” shirt:
  • Tributes to Snoop Dogg meme; mixed reactions from cast.

  "She was like, I guess I should thank my team. But I'm the one that actually did any of the work, so I'm gonna thank myself." (23:46)

• Sabalenka’s “where’s my ring?” moment:
  • All hosts agree: Would never call out their own boyfriend like that after a match.

  “Like, I couldn't imagine Maddie being like, yeah, my boyfriend over there... hopefully soon he's something other than my boyfriend.” – Jenny (24:41)

• Jenny vs. Jennifer “Name Drama” replay:
  • Hosts recall Jenny’s infamous post-match name confusion, made viral by Naomi Osaka.

  “I've never asked Jess or dez... what was your reaction to it and to Jenny or Jennifer.” – Jenny (25:28)

Health & Comebacks (27:53–31:11)

• Jenny Brady’s update: Hasn’t played in over two years; skipped AO qualifying to recover further, aims for a comeback at the ITF 100k in San Diego.

  “My body just said it wasn't ready yet... First tournament back in over two years, so there will definitely be some nerves." (28:15)

  • Jess and Desirae recall Jenny’s memorable on-court “Jenny” outbursts.

Australian Open Favorite Memories (31:11–41:04)

• Desirae: Overwhelmed by nerves before her AO debut; required a physio’s help to calm down.

  “I was like, going into a full panic attack because I was like, oh my God. I've never played Australian Open.” (31:51)

• Jenny: Cramped out in her third collegiate match—calls it “heart on her sleeve” energy.
• Jess: First AO quarterfinal, then a tight, memorable loss to Jenny in the quarters.
• Maddie: First trip as a junior, wasn’t prepared for Melbourne’s crazy weather swings; packed all wrong.

Being Defending AO Champion: Madison’s Perspective (41:04–44:04)

• On seeing her photo everywhere:

  “I keep turning corners and there's pictures of me up on the walls and I'm like, oh, my God, I wasn’t expecting that. So, like, jump scare a handful of times.” (41:18)

• On post-win media attention:

  “I had kind of gone, like, under the radar for a few years... then all of a sudden, it was like, no, actually, we have, like, 25 minutes of stuff.” (42:45)

• On favorite press topics:

  “The other day, I got some Real Housewives of Salt Lake City questions, and I got asked if I watched Traders... Those are my favorite questions.” (44:04)

AO Kits, Outfits & Court Colors (44:08–48:22)

• Wide agreement: This year’s kits (Nike, Adidas, Asics, Wilson, Yonex) all look “amazing”:

  “A lot of the colors... giving me like 2015 vibes and... inspiration from the Nike kits.” – Maddie (45:18)

• Orange, tangerine, and highlighter green are favorites.
• Jenny shares her Babylot kit for San Diego; everyone discusses how brands design outfits to pop against the blue courts at AO.

Melbourne Food & Coffee Recommendations (48:51–53:43)

• Jenny’s favorites: Hunky Dory and Rockpool (but learns Hunky Dory has closed).

  “When I was in lockdown, I had [Hunky Dory] once a day at least, if not twice a day.” (48:55)

• Desirae: Recommends Abacus, Rustica (for matcha!), Italian restaurant Stella, and is passionate about Messina gelato (macadamia crunch).

  “Messina is my favorite. I only get one flavor, and it's the macadamia crunch.” (51:25)

• Maddie: Backs Code Black café—given the tip by local John Millman; admits to “creature of habit” status.
• Jess: Declares Melbourne the “best coffee city in the world” (52:44).

Fan Q&A Topics (55:44–65:54)

Towel/Swag Swiping (55:44–60:59)

• All hosts admit to “borrowing” (i.e., stealing) AO and Wimbledon towels and reusable bottles.

  “I definitely swipe the towels.” – Madison (56:44)

• Wimbledon is notoriously tight; best chance comes during rain delays.

  “Playing tug of war with the ball kid... I want the towel.” – Jenny (57:18)

• Some locker rooms rip caps off products to keep players from snatching sunscreen/hair products.

Taking the Match Point Ball (60:44–61:28)

• No, it’s never occurred to them; tennis is different from other sports because of ball rotation.

Choosing Tournaments (62:01–65:54)

• Unanimous: Decisions are a mix of personal preference, coach advice, partner availability, and ranking/entry logistics.

  “I always like to kind of plan so that I have lots of options and then can make decisions as things unfold.” – Madison (64:34)

• Entry deadlines sometimes force over-scheduling with last-minute adjustements.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the One Point Slam nerves:

  “You could tell everyone was so nervous. No one wanted to serve.” – Madison (12:56)

• On nerves & cramping before AO debut:

  “I was, like, going into, like, a full panic attack because I was like, oh, my God. I’ve never played Australian Open.” – Desirae (31:51)

• On being a defending Grand Slam champ:

  “It actually feels really good. I would definitely recommend it if possible... five out of five stars.” – Madison (41:04)

Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |-----------------------------------|-------------| | Unforced Errors & Winners | 01:11–07:49 | | Tournament Updates | 07:49–10:08 | | One Point Slam Discussion | 11:17–16:57 | | Rock, Paper, Scissors Debate | 17:01–21:28 | | Tennis Headlines | 21:42–25:16 | | Health & Comebacks | 27:53–31:11 | | AO Favorite Memories | 31:11–41:04 | | Defending Champion/Media | 41:04–44:04 | | Kits & Colors | 44:08–48:22 | | Food & Coffee Recs | 48:51–53:43 | | Fan Questions | 55:44–65:54 |

Tone & Takeaways

The episode delivers exactly what fans hope: insider stories, candid opinions, practical advice, and lots of playful ribbing between genuinely close friends. It’s a must-listen if you enjoy seeing the lighter, very human side of top-level athletes both on and off the tennis court.