The Player's Box - Episode 38 | Rome, Pet Peeves & Low Stakes Advice
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Hosts: Madison Keys (Maddie), Jessica Pegula (Jess), Jennifer Brady (Jenny), Desirae Krawczyk (Des)
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the players’ experiences traveling and competing in Europe, focusing especially on their time in Rome. The co-hosts share candid behind-the-scenes stories, pet peeves about European living, reactions to recent tennis headlines, and honest, humorous low-stakes advice to listener questions. There’s also a tribute to their mothers ahead of Mother’s Day, plus a playful “Who Am I?” segment and plenty of laughs about everyday tour life.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Unforced Errors of the Week
(01:09–08:57)
Each host shares their personal mishaps from the week:
- Jess: Caught a cold after visiting Barcelona, and her hitting partner Spencer became even sicker. "He’s like, I feel like I’m a ghost just like wandering around the site right now. I don’t know where I am." (03:03, Jess)
- Maddie: Forgot all her match clothes in Madrid due to a confusing laundry situation; had to coordinate with the hotel to get them shipped to Rome. "I left them in the drawer in Madrid. Which I think I did it because I was at the tournament and I didn’t actually play any matches, so I never used them." (04:35, Maddie)
- Jenny: Keeps hitting curbs or the parking block due to possible issues with her contacts; walked into the wrong building while distracted by the group chat. "Siri said, 'You have arrived.' And she shut off... I just walk into the building...wait, where am I?...I’m not even in the right building." (06:09-07:46, Jenny)
- Des: Had a flawless week on the Amalfi coast; no unforced errors to report.
Notable Moment:
Maddie wins “best unforced error” for her laundry mishap.
2. Tennis Headlines & Tour Gossip
(13:19–23:09)
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Marta Kostyuk's Madrid Victory:
Kostyuk’s back handspring celebration was a “big flex”—the group discusses her acrobatics background and the prevalence of Ukrainian gymnasts in Cirque du Soleil.
"She did a back handspring, not a backflip...I watched it live...That’s impressive." (14:12–15:14, Des)
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On-Court Coaching Drama:
Greek coach Stefanos"Greeksport" in Potapova’s semifinals—debate on how tough love from coaches impacts players.
"'You have to believe in yourself.' And she said, 'I do.' And then he said, 'No, you don’t.'…Maybe he just missed the mark a little bit. That’s okay." (17:44–18:34, Jenny & Maddie)
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Racket Smashing & Rising Talent:
Praise for Haley Baptiste’s iconic racket smash and her breakout season:
"That was honestly one of the most (memorable) I’ve seen...She’s so talented." (19:35–20:21, Jess & Jenny)
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Emerging Men’s Tour Stars:
Little-known young men’s players making waves: Raphael Hodar (19), Alexander Blocks (21), comparisons to established young stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
"These guys are so young. They're babies." (21:17, Jess)
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App Culture:
The group’s run-in with the horoscope app Co–Star, and its notoriously “mean” daily advice.
"'Matty, look at the world with gentler eyes.' I was like, rude." (24:36, Maddie)
Jenny: “I deleted it right when it told me to think with my knees.” (25:25, Jenny)
3. The Great European Pet Peeves Rant
(26:30–39:51)
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Air Conditioning Frustrations:
American expectations vs. European hotel AC:
"The AC is working, just not how you want it to." (27:04, Maddie)
Limited ice at restaurants:
"Here, two ice cubes." (27:59, Maddie)
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Room Size & Showers:
Small hotel rooms and infamous half-glass showers in Europe:
“The amount of bathrooms I’ve flooded…” (30:21, Maddie)
Explainer for listeners unfamiliar with European bathrooms.
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Smoking & Restaurants:
Smoking culture in Europe feels overwhelming; take-away boxes at restaurants are "frowned upon but becoming more normal."
"They are actually very helpful, but I think it is frowned upon. But I don’t know why, like, I’d rather not waste food." (35:26, Des)
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Restaurant Service Culture:
Slow checks, non-tipping, portion sizes, and lack of free refills discussed at length.
"In the States, it’s like, can I finish my meal in 28 minutes? Go." (36:34, Maddie)
"No Cheesecake Factory." (39:30, Jenny)
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Call for Listener Input:
"Would love for people to write and comment their pet peeves about us… I can’t wait to hear about American pet peeves." (39:34–40:02, Jess & Maddie)
4. Favorite Rome & Tour Stories
(43:20–52:57)
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Best Tournament Memories:
Maddie reminisces about reaching the 2016 Rome final vs. Serena.
"I played Garbine in the semis...it was one of my favorite matches I think I’ve ever played." (43:40, Maddie)
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Des’s Accidental Rome Date Adventure:
A spontaneous solo tourist day turns into a dinner date with a Canadian at the Trevi Fountain—panic ensues as Jenny can’t reach Des.
"Hi Jenny, I’m alive. I’m on a date." (46:34, Des)
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Hotel Fails:
Des accidentally puts her coach in a hotel with suspiciously noisy nighttime activities ("I can’t name the hotel, but...we can never put you in that again!") (48:38, Des)
Jenny’s favorite: a man enters her hotel room at night “with no bottoms.” (48:47, Jenny)
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Favorite Foods:
Quickfire: Pasta wins over pizza, especially Roman specialties: "Rome is known for cacio e pepe. Yes." (49:45, Jenny & Maddie)
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Gelato Obsession:
Maddie shares her quest for nightly gelato; everyone agrees Rome’s gelato is a tournament tradition.
"I’ve been here for four nights and I’ve had it four times...My goal for the tournament is to have it every single night." (50:12, Maddie)
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Off-Court To-Do’s:
Cooking classes are recommended.
"A cooking class is actually really fun to do here." (52:20, Des)
5. Mother’s Day Shoutout
(52:39–52:59)
- Heartfelt message to their mothers and all moms for Mother’s Day.
"We love you, moms." (52:57, Des)
6. Who Am I? Segment
(52:59–54:27)
- The previous week’s clues pointed to Turkish player Zeynep Sönmez; the new “Who Am I?” features a male player at a career high, whose father played ATP.
- “My father also played on the ATP tour and I may like to indulge in a post match beer occasionally like myself.” (54:12, Jess)
7. Low Stakes Advice—Listener Q&A
(54:27–61:38)
Anonymous listener dilemmas tackled by the hosts:
- Confess to boss after clipping his van and CCTV is being checked?
- "You gotta come clean." (56:12, Jess)
- Dealing with a mean coworker:
- “You have to talk to them and say what’s the deal? …You don’t have to be friends, but you could be an adult.” (56:39–57:01, Jess & Maddie)
- Friend’s “good advice” driving you crazy:
- “Thank you, but like, no, thank you. Thank you, but I need to make a decision on my own.” (57:58, Jess)
- "Is this a vent session or do you actually want advice?" (59:00, Des)
- Guy best friend ghosted for a girlfriend, now wants to talk:
- "No, no." – Des & Maddie (59:16, 60:02)
- "I would say yes. I’d be so curious just to know…" – Jess (60:11–60:21)
- The group decides this is Instagram poll material as reactions vary by zodiac sign!
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On the woes of European showers:
"Is there anything worse than the half showers?...The amount of bathrooms that I flooded." (30:06–30:21, Jenny & Maddie)
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On slow restaurant service:
"It’s a full event. And in the States, it’s like, can I finish my meal in 28 minutes? Go." (36:34, Maddie)
-
On Rome adventures:
"Hi Jenny, I’m alive. I’m on a date." (46:41, Des)
-
On European ice rations:
"When you ask for ice, they’re like, here, two ice cubes." (27:59, Maddie)
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On pet peeves:
"Would love for people…to write and comment their pet peeves about us because we understand it’s a two-way street." (39:34, Jess)
Important Timestamps
- Unforced Errors: (01:09–09:02)
- Tennis Headlines & App Culture: (13:19–26:29)
- Pet Peeves in Europe: (26:30–39:51)
- Rome Memories: (43:20–52:57)
- Mother’s Day Shoutout: (52:39–52:59)
- Who Am I? Segment: (52:59–54:27)
- Low Stakes Advice Q&A: (54:27–61:38)
Tone & Style
Conversational, irreverent, and candid. The hosts tease each other, tell self-deprecating stories, and welcome cultural differences with open curiosity. The episode leaves listeners feeling like part of a close-knit group sharing travel tales, tennis tidbits, and life lessons beyond the baseline.
Summary for New Listeners
Whether you're a diehard tennis fan or simply love real-life stories with a sense of humor, Episode 38 of The Player’s Box is a fun, insightful window into the quirks of tournament road life, the unique culture shocks of Europe, and the bonds between four friends navigating high-stakes sport and low-stakes living. From the eternal hunt for air con and ice, to the emotional calculus of reconnecting with flaky friends, this episode delivers laughs, love for Rome, and plenty of practical advice—court-side and beyond.
