The Player’s Box — Episode 24: Australian Open Headlines

Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, Desirae Krawczyk

Overview

This episode, recorded during the second week of the Australian Open, offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at life on the tennis tour, peppered with laughter, health mishaps, tournament hot topics, and pop culture moments. Madison Keys, Jess Pegula, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk swap stories of their Aussie Open experiences, break down current tennis headlines, discuss tennis etiquette, and answer fan questions — all in their trademark playful, raw, and honest style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unforced Errors of the Week

Timestamps: 00:41–07:57

• Jenny Brady’s Double Mishap: Jenny shares two stories — one about tripping over her tennis bag at an airport and the other about actually faceplanting from a Pilates ladder barrel.
  • “I literally slipped and fell off the machine... forehead flat on the ground.” — Jennifer Brady ([03:24])
  • “I gave myself a concussion falling off of this Pilates machine face first.” ([04:22])
• Jess Pegula’s Coffee Spill: Jess describes the agony of spilling coffee on a white shirt.
  • “How to follow up from that story? I mean, I spilled coffee on myself in dining when I wore a white.” — Jess Pegula ([05:03])
• Desirae Krawczyk’s Nap Gone Wrong: Des shares about drooling during a pre-match nap, immortalized by her coach taking a photo.
  • “I ended up drooling in my hand. And my lovely coach Craig. Thanks, Craig. Snapped a pic of me.” ([05:28])
• Beauty Bar: Winner of the Week: Des boasts about making the most of the tournament’s beauty services — nails, lashes, hair, highlights, the works.
  • “I just got my hair done, got the highlights in, got my toes done before this podcast...” — Des Krawczyk ([07:12])
• Consensus: Jenny “wins” the unforced error title for the week for her Pilates disaster.

2. Who Belongs in the Players’ Box? Etiquette, Pet Peeves, and Stories

Timestamps: 08:09–19:16

• Box Preferences: Most hosts prefer a small, predictable group in their player’s box (coach, physio, close friends) and dislike surprises or “box hoppers.”
  • “I definitely don’t like surprises... only a few people.” — Jennifer Brady ([08:40])
  • “If you weren’t there when we started, you’re not there at the end.” — Madison Keys ([12:47])
• Funny Anecdotes:
  • Jess recounts her husband Taylor acting as “manager of the box” to avoid chaos when wrangling tickets. ([13:25])
  • Des shares about a friend who cheers passionately at the wrong moments and how sometimes too much enthusiasm can backfire. ([14:58])
• Etiquette:
  • “You gotta commit just to show face.” — Jess Pegula on being on time ([14:25])
  • “Not too obnoxious... don’t embarrass me, you know, or yourself, but mainly me.” — Jennifer Brady ([14:58])
  • Biggest pet peeve: dramatic negative reactions from the box after points lost — “Nothing makes me angrier than seeing that.” — Madison Keys ([16:59])
• Reverse Etiquette:
  • Discussing whether a sarcastic thumbs up or offering the racquet (“want to come do this?”) is worse as a player's response to their box.
  • “Thumbs up’s pretty, pretty bad.” — Desirae Krawczyk ([19:16])

3. Australian Open Headlines: News, Runways, and Social Moments

Timestamps: 19:16–37:00

• Stan Wawrinka’s Farewell: Stan plays his last Aussie Open, sharing a beer with Craig Tiley post-match.
  • "He had a couple [backhands] against Taylor and I was like, rooting for Taylor, but also... you want to see him still win." — Jess ([20:58])
• Naomi Osaka’s Statement Outfit: The crew marvels at Osaka’s blue dress, hat, and veil, leading Jess to reference “The Parent Trap.” ([22:08])
• Rising Stars: Major props to American 18-year-old Eva Jovic for making the fourth round.
  • “She is, like, the hardest worker. She loves tennis. She's literally there all hours of the day.” — Madison Keys ([23:35])
• Andreeva Audio Debate: Was it “F you all” or “Love you all” in Mirra Andreeva’s clip?
  • “You can't say love with an F. Exactly.” — Jennifer Brady ([25:44])
• Dance Floor Tennis: Debate over whether Poots Saba’s (Julia Putintseva) post-match dance was crowd-pleasing or too much.
  • "She thrives. I think it's entertaining." — Jess Pegula ([27:22])
• Player/Fashion Collaborations: Impressions on Vicky Imboko partnering with Rolex, Sabalenka and Sinner with Gucci/Louis Vuitton, and dream sponsor collabs (from Reese’s to Ralph Lauren).
  • “I'm not picky... I'll change for them. Just tell me what to do.” — Madison Keys ([29:30])
• Heat Rule Drama: Discussion of the “heat index” and how it affected Jannik Sinner's match, with play suspended and roofs closed.
  • “The heat or the heat index definitely came in right in the nick of time for Jannik.” — Madison Keys ([32:25])

4. Favorite Storylines & Tour Gossip

Timestamps: 34:20–36:50

• Eva Jovic’s scorching run, immediate rise in ranking
  • “She’s in fuego.” — Jennifer Brady ([34:44])
• Hilarious Darderi exit: Italian men’s player sprints off court to the bathroom post-match. ([36:05])
• Trinity Rodman becomes the highest-paid female soccer player, earning $1M per year in the NWSL.
  • "We love that for her. Trinity’s paving the way." — Jess and Jenny ([37:49])
• A quick sidebar on Jess's Buffalo Bills drama after an NFL playoff firing ([38:09]), complete with awkward ESPN family sighting and social media petitions.

5. Pop Culture: What Are We Watching?

Timestamps: 40:20–43:27

• Jenny has seen both Tell Me Lies (calling it “extremely toxic but entertaining”) and Heated Rivalry (starts at episode four!).
  • “He has a great butt.” — Jennifer Brady, on an actor in Heated Rivalry ([41:41])
• Desirae and the group admit they're either behind or skipping around on episodes/seasons.
• Jenny recommends: "Maybe I need to do squats like him... No pun intended." ([42:07])

6. Fan Questions: Tour Preferences, Media, and Teamwork

Timestamps: 44:27–54:00

On Combined vs. WTA-Only Tournaments:

• Most prefer women’s-only events for quieter, cleaner environments and more autonomy over practice schedules.
  • “They're just way more calm and it’s easier to practice and things are usually cleaner. The boys leave stuff everywhere, especially in the gym.” — Madison Keys ([47:09])
  • “It’s easier...just easier.” — Desirae Krawczyk ([47:27])

On Media Day and Press Obligations:

• Higher-ranked players (top 15) have mandatory media days and many sponsor photo shoots, especially at major tournaments and specific “media weeks.”
  • “After a loss, like an early loss, that’s your reward sometimes — you can get out of there pretty quick.” — Jess Pegula ([49:41])
  • “Sometimes you're required to do something for the hotel or a car dealership...” — Madison Keys ([51:19])
  • Skipping media? Not possible; players will get fined ([51:39])

On What They’ve Learned Doing the Podcast:

• Key takeaway: Patience!
  • “We’re all working on patience, I think.” — Madison Keys ([52:16])
  • “Learning how to, like, read each other and know who's going to speak... because we really try not to talk over each other, but it's also hard because we're all in different places.” ([52:55])
  • Big struggle: coordinating time zones and schedules.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:24] Jennifer Brady: “I literally slipped and fell off the machine... forehead flat on the ground.”
• [07:12] Desirae Krawczyk: “I just got my hair done, got the highlights in, got my toes done before this podcast...”
• [16:59] Madison Keys: “Nothing makes me angrier than seeing that.” (on dramatic reactions from her box)
• [20:58] Jess Pegula: “He had a couple one-handed backhands... I was rooting for Taylor, but also... you want to see [Stan] still win.”
• [22:08] Jess Pegula: “You know what I kept thinking of was Parent Trap....the mom is trying on the bridal stuff and she puts on like a top hat with a veil...”
• [25:44] Jennifer Brady: “You can’t say love with an F. Exactly.” (on the Andreeva “F you all” lip-read debate)
• [32:25] Madison Keys: “The heat or the heat index definitely came in right in the nick of time for Jannik.”
• [37:49] Jess & Jenny: “We love that for her. Trinity's paving the way.”
• [41:41] Jennifer Brady: “Honestly, like, phenomenal acting and he has a great butt.”
• [47:09] Madison Keys: “They're just way more calm and it’s easier to practice and things are usually cleaner. The boys leave stuff everywhere, especially in the gym.”
• [52:16] Madison Keys: “We’re all working on patience, I think.”

Noteworthy Timestamps

• [01:16] – Unforced Errors: Faceplants & mishaps
• [08:09] – Players’ box preferences and etiquette
• [19:16] – Sarcastic player-to-box gestures
• [20:30] – Stan Wawrinka's farewell and legendary backhand
• [22:08] – Naomi Osaka’s fashion moment
• [23:25] – Eva Jovic’s breakthrough and player development praise
• [30:46] – Heat Rule explained and tournament weather drama
• [37:21] – Trinity Rodman’s record salary in women’s soccer
• [40:35] – Series chat: Tell Me Lies & Heated Rivalry
• [44:27] – Fan Q&A (tournament types, media demands, podcast teamwork)
• [52:16] – Group reflection: teamwork & patience

Tone & Style

• The episode is light-hearted, fast-paced, and full of self-deprecating humor, as well as frank, practical insights into pro tennis life.
• The podcasters’ camaraderie shines through, including plenty of inside jokes, laughter, and playful teasing.

Final Thoughts

Episode 24 is a lively, insider-y, and endearing journey through both the pressures and joys of grand slam life, athlete friendship, and celebrity in the tennis world. Between health mishaps, team etiquette talk, tournament stories, tennis news, and Netflix show recaps, Keys, Pegula, Brady, and Krawczyk deliver the kind of banter — and vulnerability — rarely found off the court.

For more wild stories, fan Q&A, and life beyond the baseline, catch new episodes every Tuesday!
You can watch the full episode on The Player’s Box YouTube page and send in your fan questions on Instagram or to theplayersboxpodmail.com.