The Player’s Box – Episode 27: Iva Jovic in The Player’s Box
February 17, 2026
Host(s): Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, Desirae Krawczyk
Guest: Iva Jovic

Episode Overview

Episode 27 features rising tennis star Iva Jovic joining the Player’s Box crew live from Dubai. The hosts dive into Iva’s rapid ascent through the ranks, explore her off-court personality, and share behind-the-scenes stories from the tennis tour. They keep the tone light and playful, alternate between deep and silly questions, and share their own relatable fumbles from tour life. Key highlights include career reflections, sing-in-the-shower embarrassments, locker room mishaps, advice for handling losses, Olympic drama commentary, and a fan-favorite "Prescribe the Vibe" segment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Iva’s Breakthrough Year (00:41–02:20)

• Iva reflects on her first Grand Slam quarterfinal (01:03) and rapid ranking climb from 172 to top 20 in just a year.
  • ”You always expect to have this aha moment, but it's kind of just like another day of tennis... you're happy, but then... hopefully we can win some more matches.” (01:18)
• On what it feels like to be considered a rookie: ”Only beginning. I guess this is rookie year, you were saying.” (02:05)

2. “Unforced Error” Stories (02:49–07:14)

• Collective “unforced error” about their first podcast ad reads, which fans found hilariously awkward. The crew embraces fan feedback and promise better ads.
  • “Maybe it was all part of our plan—people said ours were so bad that they actually stayed and listened.” —Brady (03:24)
• Iva’s unforced error: Embarrassing run-in with her neighbor who overheard her “Vibey” solo shower-singing before Dubai, leading to awkward door interaction.
  • “I was singing in the shower... My neighbor knocks and says ‘Do you have people over? Or maybe, like, really loud music?’ I was mortified!” (05:05)

3. Getting to Know Iva: Rapid Fire “Finish the Sentence” (12:10–24:28)

• Guilty pleasure TV Show: “I love Gilmore Girls.” (12:17)
• Friends Describe Her As: “Probably chaotic...not in a bad way, just doing a lot of things all the time.” (13:18)
• Last Thing That Made Her Laugh: Goofy banter with coach Kathy Rinaldi: “Sometimes you don’t know if you should be offended or just laugh.” (13:38)
• Life Outside Tennis: On calls with family “20 times a day,” beach time, and her mom’s lasagna as top comfort food.
• Favorite Celebration After Wins: Vibing out with loud music in her room.
• Biggest Tennis Inspiration: “Jess [Pegula], my coaches told me growing up to watch you and play like you.” (16:07)
• Toughest Tour Aspect: “Being completely away from home... Nothing I despise more than losing and then packing, leaving in five hours.” (17:48)
• Surprising Facts: Frequently forgets tennis gear, infamous for packing mishaps, and runs a “pharmacy” in her tennis bag due to her pharmacist parents (21:34).
• Walk-up Song: Eminem’s "Lose Yourself" (19:36)
• Dream Doubles Partner: “Novak [Djokovic]—mixed at the US Open!” (19:56)
• Biggest Tennis Goal: “Solidify my place in the top 20, 30...so even on your average days you can win matches and be there consistently.” (22:31)

4. The Teenage Prodigy: School and Balance (24:11–25:24)

• Iva is still in high school and values her education, enjoys history, and plans to continue studies while playing.

5. Tennis Headlines & Locker Room Life (25:36–29:13)

• Maria Sakkari snaps Iga Swiatek’s 109-match streak after winning the first set at WTA 1000 tournaments.
  • “Oh my god, that’s insane!” —Iva (25:56)
• Iva narrates a memorable three-hour doubles match at the Australian Open: “Outrageous, not just doubles match—tennis match—I’ve ever played.” (26:56)
• Shares an off-court anecdote about Vicky Mboko’s pre-match McDonald’s indulgence: “She was already pulling out the fries before she got on the elevator!” (28:13)

6. Winter Olympics Pop Culture Chat (30:03–34:09)

• Hilarious discussion about the “goofiest” Winter Olympics sports, the drama in events like curling and biathlon, and quirky commentary on “quad god” figure skaters.
  • “Every sport you could die! Summer Olympics is like, run in a circle. Winter is: Go down this icy hill, seven flips, then don’t land on your feet.” —Brady (32:01)

7. Prescribe the Vibe: Iva’s Life Advice Pharmacy (35:24–45:14)

A playful segment where Iva “prescribes” solutions:

• Wardrobe: Nordstrom Rack or H&M for budget-friendly shopping (35:59)
• Rom-Com: “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (36:34)
• Comfort Show: Sticks with “Gilmore Girls”
• Dinner: Italian food, let “vibes” and crowd density decide (37:35)
• Coffee: Prefers chai lattes; “I feel like I have enough energy without coffee…imagine me on coffee.”
• Feel-Good Song: Early 2000s Katy Perry anthems (38:32)
• Dessert: Chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream (38:51)
• Boosting Confidence: “Music will make you feel better… For a book, I’d go with The Alchemist.” (39:20)
• Girls’ Night: Movie nights, popcorn, cookies, or organized pillow fights with rules (41:44)
• Non-Tennis Workout: HIIT yoga or a relaxed, self-paced jog (43:35)
• Social Media: Instagram is her pick—easy to keep in touch and get info.

8. Veteran Wisdom: Coping, Growth, and Perspective (46:11–52:42)

Iva turns interviewer, probing the hosts about growth from rookie years to being veterans:

• “How different does it feel from your first year to where you are now? Have you changed a lot?” (46:15)
• Hosts agree the experience changes: at first every stop is exciting, later it becomes routine unless you intentionally mix it up. Desirae shares: “It’s really important to enjoy the cities, not just hotel–site–leave.” (47:39)
• Pegula’s advice: “It feels like yesterday, then you realize—wow, that was four years ago, I’m a totally different person.” (48:57)
• On losses: everyone struggles, but maturity means learning to “be a goldfish”—let go quickly; celebrate small wins and don’t overthink the losses.
  • “I feel like some of the funniest stories I have were from awful weeks... When you do well, what we’re doing is really cool, so just take that extra second to appreciate it.” —Pegula (51:12)
  • “Success only happens from failure... sometimes you just gotta go goldfish and flush it.” —Pegula (55:23)

9. Favorite Games & Fan Q&A (57:24–65:38)

• "Who Am I?" tennis trivia: Iva gives clues—“has the all-time career ace record, three kids, still involved in tennis though retired.” (59:12)
• Fan Questions:
  • Do players hear coaching advice from other boxes? Not really, everyone’s in their own world (60:17).
  • Pre-tournament player parties: Used to be more common pre-COVID, now rare or even mandatory for seeds. Atmosphere varies, but most players mingle within their circles and indulge in the buffet (62:04).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On milestone successes:
  “You expect some aha moment—oh, this is great!—but it’s just another day. You’re happy…but you move on.” —Iva (01:18)
• On shower embarrassment:
  “Obviously, there’s no people over, and he can hear that there’s no music…so I just told him, ‘Yeah, it was my music, I’m sorry, I’ll turn it down.’” —Iva (05:03)
• On staying top-20:
  “It’s one thing to get there, but a completely different thing to stay there...to be there consistently.” —Iva (22:31)
• On success and failure:
  “It’s impossible to succeed if you haven’t failed…sometimes you just gotta go goldfish and flush it.” —Pegula (55:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Iva’s Breakthrough: 00:41–02:20
• Unforced Errors: 02:49–07:14
• “Finish the Sentence” with Iva: 12:10–24:28
• Locker Room Mishaps & “Pharmacy” Bag: 21:34–22:20
• Tennis Headlines & Doubles Drama: 25:36–29:13
• Olympics Pop Culture Chat: 30:03–34:09
• Prescribe the Vibe: 35:24–45:14
• Veteran Wisdom & Coping with Losses: 46:11–52:42
• “Who Am I?” Trivia: 57:24–59:46
• Fan Q&A: 59:52–65:38

Conclusion

This episode is a lively, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a top young tennis prospect and the hard-earned wisdom of veteran tour players. From giggle-worthy embarrassments to deep life and sport advice, listeners are treated to the full spectrum of highs, lows, and hilarious in-betweens that define life on tour. The Player’s Box camaraderie shines through as they bond, tease, and support each other—and the audience—through every twist.

Listen for: Iva’s shower singer moment, the inside scoop on locker room “pharmacy” culture, practical vet advice, and a string of laugh-out-loud Winter Olympics takes.

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