The Player’s Box – Episode 30: Indian Wells Update, Combined 1000s & Sam Querrey Joins
Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, Desirae Krawczyk
Special Guest: Sam Querrey
Overview
In this lively episode, the full Player’s Box crew gathers in-person at Indian Wells, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, logistical headaches of a combined Masters 1000 event, sponsorship shenanigans, and the latest tournament gossip. With Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk all on-site, the show's camaraderie shines. Topics include practice court madness, fan Q&As, an accidental racy Instagram post, family drama, and a hilarious drop-in from Sam Querrey about his viral "Hot Coach Bracket." The hosts blend candid insights about tennis life with their trademark humor and unfiltered storytelling.
Unforced Errors of the Week
(Starts ~00:39)
Jennifer Brady
- Parking Lot Fail: Ignored a “Right Turn Only” sign, got stuck in overflow parking, looped around pointlessly.
“...I found myself driving all the way through this overflow parking lot to then come out literally like 10 steps away from where I turned in.” (01:17)
- Volley Practice Disaster: While warming up with Jess, hit ~20/25 volleys into the net, despite strokes feeling “so crisp and clean.”
- Notable Moment:
“It got to a point where I was like, okay, like, this has to be a joke. It wasn’t a joke. I literally could not make a volley over the net.” (05:04)
Madison Keys
- Texting Confusion: Scheduling practice partners with husband Bjorn led to a miscommunication, both misreading each other’s sarcasm.
“[Bjorn] thought you were saying that she was set with us. I was like, no, definitely not. We don’t have anyone for Tuesday.” (02:30)
Desirae Krawczyk
- Coaching Dilemma: Drew her own coach’s other doubles team in the draw, unsure if he should support either team or just go play golf.
“Maybe he should go play golf while we play our match because...he obviously can’t coach.” (04:32)
Jessica Pegula (Winner)
- Instagram Mishap: Accidentally posted a story promoting their new podcast episode with an X-rated YouTube ad visible in the screenshot.
“Jess, you might want to look at the ads that are on your screenshots before you post them. And it was a very like X rated ad.” (06:54, Keys)
"So I basically was posting like adult X rated content ads on my Instagram story..." (06:54, Pegula)- Maddie (Madison) caught the mistake within four minutes; Jess deleted the story immediately.
- Group teases Pegula: “Yeah, we have about your searches...” (08:07)
Life at Indian Wells: Scheduling, Shoots, and Sponsorships
(13:33–16:12)
-
Brand Shoots take over:
- Brady: Did a Babolat shoot, loves the Indian Wells scenery and laid-back weather.
- Pegula: Busy with back-to-back shoots (Adidas, WTA, Tennis Channel, Goriana jewelry), sponsor obligations, and media sessions. “It’s really easy to get players to do things here compared to Miami.” (14:29)
- Krawczyk: WTA annual "yearbook photo."
- Keys: Juggled WTA, Yonex, Tennis Channel shoots; likes frontloading commitments early in the week.
-
Eisenhower Cup & Tiebreak Tens
- Pegula played with Tommy Paul:
“He just really wants to like win these 10 point tiebreakers. I’m so sick of losing these. And he was like, so upset and I was like, dude, it’s fine.” (16:49)
“All the guys will be sitting on one side...Fritz is the exo king and he just loves it so much.” (17:37) - Describes player camaraderie, gassing each other up unexpectedly (“They’re like just talking about how good everybody is, which I think people probably don’t realize.” 18:06)
- Notable On-court Nervousness:
“All of us get so nervous during exos.” (22:45, Keys)
“It’s so nerve wracking.” (22:49, Pegula)
- Pegula played with Tommy Paul:
Tournament Gossip & Fandom
Family/Friends at IW (23:53–27:32)
- Desirae’s Mom: More excited to see Alex Eala (Filipina rising star) than her own daughter. Plans to cook Filipino dishes for Eala.
“I was like, mom, I’m gonna be playing on Thursday... She’s like, oh, oh, yes, you too.” (25:01)
- Brady: Friends from UCLA visiting; notes the strong “Bruin” presence at Indian Wells.
- Dog Tales: Surge in player and coach dogs at tournaments.
- Pegula: “There are a lot of new dogs on tour, Ash being one of them [Sabalenka’s dog].”
- Des and Jenny team up to care for Pluto (Des/Krawczyk’s dog).
- Consensus: More dogs are fun, but messy owners irritate.
“I only know people, like who their dogs are because of their dogs.” (31:01, Krawczyk)
“I’m totally cool with all the dogs as long as they’re being taken care of. I forget where we were last year...There was just pee for, like an hour.” (31:33, Keys)
Sabalenka Engagement
- Announced engagement and new dog.
“She manifested that engagement...She basically was like, you better put a ring on it.” (27:32–28:19)
Combined 1000 Event Woes: Practice Court Battles
(41:38–46:38)
- Scheduling Stress:
- Practice courts must be rebooked each day; can’t hold two practices same day until first is completed.
“They tell you to call at 7am and then they’ll tell you if there’s any available courts.” (43:16, Keys)
- Doubles Player Pain: Must share courts with three other players during peak hours (10–4); little flexibility.
- Lots of Empty Courts: Frustration about always fighting for time despite clear availability.
- Holding Courts for “Warmup”: Critique tournament’s habit of holding courts in case someone needs them for warmup, even if rarely used, complicating scheduling further.
Fast Round: ATP-WTA Crossover
(47:39–52:13)
- Coaches Hogging the Gym:
“There’s some coaches...won’t drop some names here, but you know who you are.” (47:29, Krawczyk)
- ATP Players Not Recognizing WTA Players:
- Pegula: “Probably 80 of them.” (47:43, Krawczyk)
- Sometimes, repetitive run-ins lead to unexpected friendships (e.g., Pegula & Karen Khachanov).
- Biggest Eye-Roll Habit (Men’s Tour):
- Not cleaning up after themselves in the gym, “drives me up a effing wall.” (49:59, Krawczyk)
- Most Dramatic on Court:
- Unanimous: ATP.
- “Who Would Start a Dance Party?”
- Monfils gets shout-out (hilarious video reference).
- Who’s Best at Other Sports?
- Ben Shelton (“freak athlete”), Casper Ruud (golf), Tommy Paul (general athleticism).
Special Guest: Sam Querrey Joins for Hot Coach Bracket
(35:08–38:44)
- Sam Quantifies the “Hottest ATP Coach” Bracket, explains bracket design and seeding.
“Honestly, there was no rhyme or reason. I just kind of put guys into a chat and...seeded them based on what I thought they looked like.” (36:32, Querrey)
- Fun stories about coaches voting for themselves, or being upset about unflattering photos.
- Marks out in round one; fans demand Brad Stein in the draw.
- “Running a tournament is hard work!”
“I got a lot of sympathy for, for tournament directors.” (38:26, Querrey)
Fan Q&A
Superstitions & Rituals (53:53–56:35)
- Keys: Her superstition is not having superstitions: “I never do the same thing twice because I don’t want to get locked into something for the entire tournament.”
- Brady: Eats same food, regroups rackets, removes/returns visor/towel depending on set outcome, arranges drinks methodically (to the right/left).
- Krawczyk: Doesn’t step on lines, bounces ball a set number of times, sticks to same meal for the duration of a run (e.g., Chipotle at RG).
- Pegula: Keeps routine similar after wins, but not strict about superstitions.
Adjusting to Opponent’s Age/Experience (56:35–59:50)
- All agree: Respect every opponent, lean on experience vs. newcomers, use big courts to their advantage.
- Keys: Sometimes experience lets you withstand a “hot streak” from a fearless youngster; recalls losing to Patty Schnyder as a rookie and being “veteraned.”
“They have no scar tissue...sometimes they just kind of light it up and you just kind of have to deal with that.” (57:07, Keys)
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- On player camaraderie:
“People probably don’t realize...the guys are gassing people up the entire time.” (18:06, Pegula)
- On family priorities:
“My mom’s Filipino, so she’s crazy about Alex [Eala]...I was like, mom, I’m gonna be playing on Thursday. She’s like, oh, oh, yes, you too.” (25:01)
- On tennis perspective in world events:
“Puts in perspective, like, tennis is just a stupid game where we hit a stupid ball over the net...” (34:21, Pegula)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Unforced Errors of the Week: 00:39–09:09
- Indian Wells – Media/Sponsor Work: 13:33–16:12
- Eisenhower Cup & Tiebreak Tens: 16:12–23:53
- Friends, Family, and Fan Moments: 23:53–27:32
- Sabalenka Engagement & Tour Dogs: 27:20–32:06
- World Events/Dubai Travel Drama: 32:06–35:08
- Hot Coach Bracket w/ Sam Querrey: 35:08–38:44
- Practice Court Battles at Combined 1000: 41:38–46:38
- Fan Q&A (Rituals, Experience): 53:53–59:50
Tone & Style
The conversation maintains a playful, self-deprecating, and highly relatable energy, toggling between laughter and inside jokes (“comment in the comments”), genuine insight into tennis life, and deep camaraderie. The group’s authenticity and willingness to poke fun at themselves make it both entertaining and informative for tennis fans and newcomers alike.