41 | Live from Paris: Roland Garros & Travel Days

Summary

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The Player's Box | Episode 41: Live from Paris - Roland Garros & Travel Days

Hosts: Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady, Desirae Krawczyk
Date: May 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

Broadcast live from the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, this episode gives an insider’s look at life on the WTA tour during Roland Garros, with a focus on the chaos, routines, and personal quirks that underpin the players’ traveling lives. Madison, Jess, Jenny, and Desirae swap travel stories, discuss pre-tournament rituals, recount memorable Parisian mishaps, answer fan Q&A, and reflect on their favorite Roland Garros moments — all in their trademark candid, upbeat group-chat style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Podcast Origins & Live Show Chaos

• Authenticity & Group Chat Vibes: Started as a way to bring their private group hangouts public, with tech mishaps, time zones, and plenty of laughs. It’s “therapy” for them and entertaining for fans.
• Behind-the-Scenes Challenges: Editing chaos noted by Jess:

  "Our poor editor sometimes has to edit a lot of different audio files and video files... We’ve learned a lot about the tech side of podcasting, which really is a whole different world..." (02:20, Jess)

2. Unforced Error of the Week (04:00)

Drug Testing Disasters:

• Jess: Early morning 6:30am test, calling it an “automatic unforced error” for disrupting her packed day.

  "Any time I get drug tested, I consider that an unforced error for the week because it's just a pain..." (04:19, Jess)

• Maddie: Drug tester shows up late during her window and can't do the test in private; had to carry the tester to the courts:

  "This woman just had to ride with us to the courts, follow us around... I was just sitting [for the blood draw]... as players were walking through in the morning..." (05:30, Maddie)

Paris Pharmacy Fail:

• Desirae: Leaves her prized skincare haul in a Lime bike basket after a 20-minute ride:

  "Put it in my little lime bike basket, rode back to my hotel, get back to my room, forgot my whole bag in the basket. And I was devastated..." (08:39, Desirae)

Funny Old Mishaps:

• Jenny runs over an iguana in Florida:

  "Where I ran over the iguana... Like, you can't make that up in Florida." (10:06, Jenny)

3. Travel Routines & Hotel Musts (Travel segment starts at 13:39)

• Home Away from Home:

  • Jess, Maddie, Desirae discuss Hyatt’s personalized touches (e.g., framed dog or husband photos, embroidered robes).
  • Desirae packs slippers, candles, “8 toiletry bags.” Realization: “I think we all have a problem!” (16:37)
  • Jenny: minimalist, prefers buying things on the road.

• Hotel Perks:

  • Jenny: “My favorite thing is a really good breakfast buffet... guilty pleasure is room service.” (18:19)
  • Maddie: “I like to call myself a sleep princess. Blackout curtains, cold rooms, fluffy bedding.” (19:45)
  • Desirae: obsessed with spa amenities, memorable poolside food in Dubai, and luxurious bathrooms.

• Travel Day Routines

  • Maddie and Desirae: fully unpack. Maddie: “My husband always laughs because he's like, it looks like we've lived here for five years.” (23:03)
  • Jenny: lives out of packing cubes, keeps the room “very sterile.” First stop is always the in-room dining menu. (24:13)
  • Jess: Hybrid unpacker, but more so with each season.

4. Food, Rituals, and Superstitions (25:40)

• Jenny: Orders the same breakfast (avocado toast & eggs) if available.
• Desirae: Superstitious eater, sticks to a “winning routine.”
• Maddie: Deliberately changes her routine to avoid being thrown off by hotel mishaps:

  “I'm clearly a psychopath, and I don’t ever want to get stuck in the same routine... I never have the same meal.” (27:11, Maddie)

Nighttime & Recovery Rituals (27:38)

• Maddie: Elaborate wind-down including LED light mask, blackout blinds, eye mask, sound machine, Apple TV:

  “I have a sound machine I travel with...” (28:18, Maddie)

• Desirae: “You travel with more things than I do!” (28:21, Desirae)
• Room features: everyone agrees on the importance of good lighting, shower pressure, and somewhere to sit that isn’t the bed.

5. Rapid-Fire Travel Preferences (34:44)

• Airport Timings: Jess likes to push it; Maddie aims to arrive as boarding starts; Des and Jenny arrive early.
• Vacation This or That:
  • Urban getaway: Jenny & Jess
  • Beach vacation: Des & Maddie (but poolside, not sandy)
  • Mountain adventure unanimously wins over tropical.
  • Action-packed trip (but with one full chill day for Maddie).
  • Glamping or boutique hotel? Des & Jess up for glamping, Maddie insists on boutique hotel:

    “It's too close to camping. I like hotels. Like, I actually like really nice hotels.” (40:30, Maddie)

6. Roland Garros Memories & Traditions (Starts 45:08)

• Best Paris Memories:

  • Jenny: “Lost 9-7 in the third to Mladenovic on Chatrier in 2017—French crowd was electric, unforgettable.” (45:19)
  • Desirae: “Winning mixed Grand Slam here in 2021... kind of surreal. My first one. Played with a partner I'd never played with.” (46:29)
  • Maddie: “Semifinals in 2018, played Sloane, argued with umpire... But it was an amazing two weeks.” (46:57)
  • Jess: With Des made 4th round in doubles, best slam result at the time, “friendship blossomed.” (47:46)

• Growing Up Watching Roland Garros:

  • Group gushes over Rafa Nadal’s 14 titles:

    “It’s Rafa Nadal’s backyard...” (48:41, Jenny)

  • Jess recalls Federer’s breakthrough when Soderling upset Rafa:

    “That was a cool moment…finally getting through that. Alongside Rafa winning it how many times? Fourteen.” (50:59, Jess)

• On-Court Drama: Line Calling & Tournament Traditions

  • Roland Garros is now one of the few slams with human line judges (no electronic line calling), which brings drama and old-school arguments.
  • Maddie:

    “I kind of like the drama when people fight with the chair. They come down... and you're like, it's not touching, and they're like, no, see, see, right there?” (52:57, Maddie)

7. Tribute to Gaël Monfils

• Hosts pay homage:

  “He is such a showman... Play tennis differently than anybody else... He makes you feel good just watching tennis.” (57:02–57:47, Desirae/Jenny)

8. Roland Garros 2026 Men’s Picks/Dark Horses (Starts 57:49)

• Hodar picked as a dark horse (was world #600 last year!), Ben Shelton noted as potential surprise.
• Shoutout to Americans Tommy Paul and Lerner Tien.

9. “Who Am I?” Player Game

• Listeners given clues and must guess pro players. Example:
  • Des' clues (last week’s answer: Corentin Moutet)
  • Jenny's clues (new player): “At least one tour final for 19 years... married a pro... Twitch streamer.”

10. Low Stakes Advice – Fan Q&A (Starts 62:00)

Examples:

• Recreational tennis “bad call” confession:

  “Maybe you don’t have to tell, but don’t do it again.” (63:38, Maddie)

• Dating app tennis lie:

  “Show up, act cute, maybe get a lesson... Don’t call it a tennis session.” (64:41, full group)

• Handling marathon nerves:

  “Nerves mean you care... Each week is a new chance to make them normal.” (65:57, Jenny)

• Being antisocial at tennis invites: “Play singles, leave early, Irish goodbye.” (67:14, whole group)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On packing for travel:

  “Do I have a problem if I carry, like, eight toiletry bags? ... I have six.” (16:27, Desirae/Maddie)

• On next-level hotel pampering:

  “Robes that had our names embroidered on them. I was like, wow, I'm getting the Jess treatment this week.” (15:17, Maddie)

• On food routines:

  “I'm a little--well, a lot superstitious, so I'll probably eat the same thing... It's the winning routine.” (26:27, Desirae)

• On Gaël Monfils:

  “He makes you feel good just watching tennis.” (57:47, Jenny)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:20 - Tech struggles & podcast behind-the-scenes
• 04:00 – Unforced Error of the Week: Drug testing/drama stories
• 13:39 – Travel routines, favorite hotel moments, and packing quirks
• 25:40 – Breakfast, food routines, and superstitions
• 27:38 – Nighttime/recovery rituals, best room features
• 34:44 – Rapid fire “This or That” travel questions
• 45:08 – Roland Garros memories and traditions
• 57:49 – French Open men’s picks & dark horses
• 62:00 – “Who Am I” game & “Low Stakes Advice” fan Q&A

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Tone & Vibe

Conversational, candid, and often laugh-out-loud funny, with lots of “group chat” asides and ribbing—especially when reminiscing about travel chaos or superstitious routines. The dynamic is supportive, inclusive, and richly detailed, welcoming both hardcore tennis fans and casual listeners.

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Summary Takeaways

If you want to truly understand the lived experience of tennis pros on tour—the unpredictable schedules, odd hotel rituals, wild travel mishaps, and genuine camaraderie—this live Paris episode offers a rare and engaging window, all with the humor, insight, and warmth of four close friends who happen to be elite athletes.

Transcript

[Jess Pagola]

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[Madison Keys]

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[Jess Pagola]

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[Madison Keys]

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[Jess Pagola]

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[Madison Keys]

This is the players box.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Welcome to our first live podcast show. I'm Desiree Krafczyk. This is Jenny Brady. We've got Madison Keys and Jess Pagola, and we are the players box. We are so delighted to be here. Thanks to Hyatt for having us. There's so much buzz and excitement that's going on right now as the second slam is going away and we are just excited to be here and we have so many memories here in Paris as I speak, for all of us, great memories and we would love for you guys to get a glimpse into our lives. I'm not sure if anyone knows, but we started this podcast almost a year ago and it was kind of like a group chat for all of us to kind of hang out. And then we were like, why don't we just start a podcast? So we did that less than a year ago and we've kind of just, I don't know, been having so much fun. Except there's a little bit of chaos with planning everything. Time zone, time zones, oh, my gosh, Bad WI fi, nine hour difference with our producers and everything. And it's been, it's been so much fun that we've been able to have a great time with all of us.

[Jess Pagola]

So, yeah, our poor editor sometimes has to edit a lot of different audio files and video files. So we've learned a lot about the tech side of podcasting, which really is a whole different world as we have, we've come to learn. So that's been interesting. But yeah, it's been a lot of fun. I think we film every single week and we've been really consistent with That I don't think we've missed a week. And so, yeah, I just think it shows that we enjoy it and we have a lot of fun and we're committed to always putting something out every Tuesday for you guys to watch, which has been a lot of fun, I would say. It's also kind of therapy for us because if there's anything crazy or bad or chaotic or good, we all get to talk about it. So it's, it is really like our group chat that has come to life in a way for everyone else to kind of listen and to hear.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, yeah, I think, I think like Jess said, you know, it's very authentic what we talk about actually happens and in our real lives. And it's something that, you know, we wanted to share with the fans and experience for everyone to have, you know, a glimpse into what it's like to be a professional tennis player. And also the fact that even I'm here today, not physically in person with everyone else, but being able to, you know, still get to be involved with the pod and you know, from Florida, the city, six hour time change, you know, the fact that we make this work every single week is honestly impressive. So I hope you guys enjoy the live today and yeah, hopefully it's fun.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. So we start off every episode with an unforced error. So it could be like a tiny mishap that has happened in the week or wherever you're at and we do an unforced error of the week. So if you've gotten any, let us know. But let's start with Jess.

[Jess Pagola]

Sure. I would say actually my week has been going pretty well. I would say that today just I feel like. So we get drug tested every, everywhere, at all times. We have to put an hour or our hour for the day that it's our window of when we are allowed to get tested. They can also test at any time, but basically we're allowed to schedule an hour. So every single day of our lives we, we have a thing, we have to put this hour slot, change it. Yeah, it's crazy. A lot of people don't realize that. Um, but this morning I had drug testing at 6:30 this morning. So anytime I get drug tested, I consider that an unforced error for the week because it's just a pain and luckily it was fine. I got up, I was able to do it really, really quickly. But I had like a super long day today with an early practice and it never seems to come on a day where like it works out well. It's just always bad timing. So I was like, of course it comes on a Saturday. We're at an early morning practice and we had, you know, this podcast doing this, you know, till later tonight. So automatically unforced error. If you get drug tested, Maddie, I know you want to. She's going to lean into that. That's why I was good. I explained it.

[Madison Keys]

But yeah. So mine of the week, I was leaving for practice at 8:30 and I had my drug testing window for 7 to 8. And 8 o' clock rolls around, no knock on the door. I thought I was in the clear. Great. Getting my stuff ready. And someone knocked on my door at like 8:18. And it was drug testing and of course I didn't have to pee. So I was like, okay. And it was also for blood, which you have to be sitting for 10 minutes before it has to be done before practice. And so I panicked and I looked at my husband and he was like, she's just gotta come with us, I guess. So I said okay. And we packed up all of our stuff and this woman just had to ride with us to the courts, follow us around. We had to get her credential. They didn't have the credentials ready. So someone had to like escort us around the facility. And then finally did it. And then I had to do the blood draw. And it's 8:30 in the morning on site and there's not really any super private place so there's these couches off of where you wait for transport. And I was like, well, I guess we're doing a blood draw here. So I was just sitting there and as players are walking through, through the morning, I was like, good morning. Hi, how are you? It's great. Yeah, we're fine. But yeah, it's just, it feels like it always happens on the days where you have no time and things could not get worse. You're somehow carting this poor woman around. Paris, Jenny.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh.

[Jenny Brady]

So I'm going to stick with the Parisian theme here and go back to my high school days. And so I did online high school, like the majority of us here I believe, except Jess, I believe you did a little bit of in person high school.

[Jess Pagola]

But

[Jenny Brady]

so I was, I decided to sign up for French. So I was taking French one online and I was halfway through the first semester and my instructor tells me, jennifer, I think it's best if you maybe drop the class. Your accent is very bad. And so I listened to her. I dropped the class and then I signed up for Spanish. So apologies in advance for my Lack of French pronunciation. That has to come out during this episode. Desiree.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Well, my unforced error is. So I don't know if anyone knows or if you're on TikTok or whatnot, but the pharmacies in Paris are like a hit here. Okay. And Maddie is my skin skincare. What do you call it?

[Jess Pagola]

Rue. Rue.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. So I went to the pharmacy. I was taking a lime bike all the way. I think it was about a 20 minute bike ride.

[Madison Keys]

Got.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I was so excited for all these purchases I got, put it in my little lime bike basket, rode back to my hotel, get back to my room, forgot my whole bag in the basket. And I was devastated. I was like, oh, my gosh, I need to go back and get it. It's gone, sadly. And I was just. I was so devastated. If you guys know the pharmacy, like, you know it's a hit. Right. So that was a really sad unforced

[Jess Pagola]

error, but that's a tough day.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. Good thing I can go back there and get it. But I'm glad someone else enjoyed it.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

So. So, yeah. Does anyone else have an unforced error? They could think of any funny ones.

[Jess Pagola]

We have been told that this stuff only happens to us and some people

[Desiree Krafczyk]

think that we make it up, which we do not. It just happens.

[Jess Pagola]

Definitely don't.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

I truly wish sometimes. We were joking.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yes.

[Jess Pagola]

We were talking. Who was it? Caroline Garcia, who's a French player here, just recently retired. And yeah, she was talking to Maddie and she also has her own podcast and she's like, I love the podcast. I cannot believe these things happen to you guys. Like what? Because every week we usually have something, like, we usually always have a couple good ones. Sometimes we have a good week, but,

[Madison Keys]

like, we usually don't.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

We've had some good ones. Like, what about Jenny Had a good one. Well, I don't know if it's a good one, but Izzy or the iguana?

[Jess Pagola]

Iggy.

[Madison Keys]

Iggy.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

The iguana.

[Jess Pagola]

Where?

[Jenny Brady]

Where? I ran over the iguana.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, like, he can't make that up in Florida.

[Jess Pagola]

There's. Yeah, there's a lot of iguanas.

[Madison Keys]

There's a lot of iguanas. So,

[Jess Pagola]

Okay, what is your weekday breakfast routine like with early morning practices, I don't have a ton of time to make a full meal.

[Jenny Brady]

I just grab it on the way out the door and it's 35 grams of protein, 27 essential vitamins and minerals. No artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. Gluten free and under $5 per meal. That's cheaper than a latte, but it fills me up and gives me what I need to start the day.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I've also been loving the Black Edition powder. When I want something a little bit more filling and it's 40 grams of protein, shake it with water and it's a full meal in under a minute.

[Jenny Brady]

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[Madison Keys]

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[Desiree Krafczyk]

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[Madison Keys]

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[Jenny Brady]

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[Madison Keys]

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[Jess Pagola]

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[Madison Keys]

Weddings, tournaments, trips and way more photos. And I realized if you wear glasses, you're wearing them in all of those moments. So if you don't love your frames, you feel it pretty quickly.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Before Warby Parker, buying glasses always felt way more complicated than it should be. Like overpriced, hard to compare and no real way to tell if something would actually look good on your face.

[Jenny Brady]

That's why I'm obsessed with Warby Parker. They've made everything so much easier. Their virtual try on lets you see frames on your face in real time from your phone. And it actually works.

[Madison Keys]

I picked up a pair of matte black Durand frames as prescription sunglasses right before the trip and I felt way more confident wearing them. Got a bunch of compliments and they feel super high quality without being crazy expensive.

[Jess Pagola]

Their prescription glasses start at $95, so you're getting style and quality without overthinking it. Plus, they've got contacts, eye exams, sunglasses, everything in one place and 300 plus stores. If you ever want to go in

[Desiree Krafczyk]

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[Jess Pagola]

So we are here at the Hyatt Regency Paris etois in the 17th arrondissement. I hope that my French was perfect. Perfect, perfect. Thank you. With this amazing panoramic view of the city. Really, really beautiful. Before we kick off here, going into the French Open or Roland Garros and I have been really excited about this because I get to share one of my favorite parts of travel, which is being for by World of Hyatt. So that is something that has been amazing over the last year. They're an incredible team. I think one thing I always appreciate is how, you know, taking care of, of you and all the people you care about, they make you feel really, really special. And I think that's on display right here, right now with this amazing setup that we have and really excited to, to share it with all of you guys here. And so speaking of World of Hyatt, I think something that we all love is travel. So. So we are definitely going to do a little travel segment here, talking about little routines, thoughtful touches, things that make us feel really at home before we can go out and compete. And I would just say one of my, off the top of my head, favorite memories was I sit at the Park Hyatt in New York, and amazing. They had framed pictures of me with my dogs, like, on the nightstand. So just like walking into your room and seeing that especially we're on the road literally like 10 months out of the year is really, really special. So any type of, you know, thoughtful little things that make us feel like we're at home is really, really nice. So, yeah, we're gonna talk about a few experiences. Maddie, I know you have similar experience.

[Madison Keys]

Yes. I am also staying at a Hyatt property, and I walked in yesterday and there was a framed photo of my husband and I on the nightstand, and we had robes and that had our names embroidered on them. And I was laughing and I was like, wow, I'm getting the Jess treatment this week. This is so fun. I was like, this happens to you all of the time. Usually like this, this Isn't normal. This is great. I love this.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, it was really fun. Des, she's the one out of our group who notoriously travels with everything. Like, do you want to explain? She likes to feel like she's at home.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

Let's just say that.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Why would you not? You want your hotel to feel it's like, your home base. You want to have the nice restaurants, the amenities, and, you know, I like to travel with my slippers. I travel with my essential oil. Why not Candle.

[Madison Keys]

Candle.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Okay. I travel with a candle because, you know, maybe you want it to smell nice. You maybe need it to be. I don't know. And all of my. Oh, my gosh. The toiletries, the amenities. I travel with so much stuff.

[Jess Pagola]

I think we just counted how many toiletry bags we all carry. So des thought that she had a problem.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

How many I said, is. Is there. Do I have a problem if I carry, like, eight toiletry bags? Okay, okay, okay. But I think.

[Madison Keys]

But then we all counted, and I was like, that seems like a lot. And then I count, and I was like, I have six.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, I had around six.

[Jess Pagola]

The seventh one was kind of like, it could be. It could not be. So maybe we all have a problem. Jenny, I know that you don't carry.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I think Jenny has, like, two.

[Jenny Brady]

I don't have. Maybe I have a problem that I don't carry enough things. I actually do end up buying a lot of things on the road. It's just easier, I guess. Less for me to pack.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, it does.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I love to feel like I'm at home when I'm on the road, because, I mean, we're gone so much, and I will not consolidate.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. Travel pillow has become essential. The travel pillow started. I think Maddie always had a travel pillow. And then I was having, like, neck issues last year, and she's like, you need to get this pillow. So it's become a must now. I think you have. I have the pillow.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I was influenced by Maddie and Jess and then Jenny.

[Madison Keys]

Do you have the pillow yet?

[Jenny Brady]

I'm very hard to influence.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, well, that is true. Jenny's like, anti. If you tell her something, she does.

[Jenny Brady]

I did the opposite.

[Madison Keys]

I sent the travel pillow link to Maria sakary yesterday.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. So she's influencing, like, half the tour with the easy travel pillow, which I do say is definitely. It's a game changer. What do you feel like is a standout for you guys on the road? Like, a good breakfast, a good gym, a good bed. Like, a good pillow. I don't know. What's. What are you picky about Jenny? I feel like you have a good answer for this because Jenny is very particular.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yes.

[Jenny Brady]

Yes for me is definitely. Number one is dining. My favorite thing is a really good breakfast buffet. I also love a good room service. That's my guilty pleasure in a hotel is coming back to the room, kicking my feet up and just ordering half the menu on room service. And especially when they, especially in France when they give you the good butter,

[Desiree Krafczyk]

the bread, the butter here.

[Jenny Brady]

You guys, my favorite thing, I mean obviously a nice well equipped gym is always good just to escape the player gyms on site. But for me, number one priority is food.

[Jess Pagola]

Fair enough.

[Madison Keys]

Jenny and I have had like long conversations about the breakfast at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne because it's like the best breakfast ever. As far as like a tournament hotel goes. It's the greatest place ever. And it's like the talk of the tour is always, oh, where are you staying in Melbourne? Oh, the Grand Hyatt. Everyone's like, you have to go to breakfast.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

It's.

[Jenny Brady]

It's a dream. It's a dream come true for me.

[Madison Keys]

I feel like I've always really liked in hotels. One I love like blackout curtains where it's pitch black in a room. I love that. I like to call myself a sleep princess. So it's. I love sleeping. So blackout, a nice cold room and like just like a super comfortable bed with like nice fluffy bedding it. I'm gonna have a great week.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, that does sound. I love the amenities of like whether there's like a full on bathroom with the good lighting with. And also a nice spa. Oh my gosh. Gotta have the nice spa.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. You went to the spa When I was at the. I stayed at the Park Hyatt Dubai.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Dubai. And out of time, let me tell you, I. This hotel was unreal. I literally sat by the pool and ordered myself some food. Honestly, probably the best poolside food. I think I sent you pictures. Yeah. And nice cocktail. But the spa area was great. If you guys ever go there, you should definitely hit it up. It's amazing.

[Jess Pagola]

We were playing at the, in the tournament in Dubai that year or this past year and she was like, this is where you're staying? Like I just, I booked the spa just to like, I just came for a few hours. There's like a. The day before you had to fly. She basically had a day off and she. I actually wasn't there when you were

[Madison Keys]

there and I came for the hotel.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Hotel, not for you.

[Jess Pagola]

Sorry. She Literally did everything at the hotel. Yeah. And has had raving reviews about it. But, yeah, I would say for me, definitely the breakfast. I think Hyatt's really do breakfast, like, so well. And it's my favorite part of the day. I love eating breakfast. I love taking my time, I love having my coffee. And literally every Hyatt I've stayed at, I know that's kind of their thing. And I very much appreciate that because it sets my day off on the right. Right foot. And I think we spend so much day on site at tournaments that a lot of times we're eating lunch or snack or dinner on site with the same food and the same people all the time. And it can just be, like, really overstimulating. Especially for instance, here on site at Roland Garros. Like, it is packed. There are so many people. Because you have everybody still in the draw. Right. The tournament hasn't started yet, so. And starting, you know, is it tomorrow? Tomorrow? So everybody's here, all the singles players, all the doubles players, qualifiers, and it's just. It's super chaotic. So, yeah, a nice, peaceful breakfast. Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

That's also, like, with the gym, like.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Jenny said, like, there's so many people on site and like, we all say we see the same people every single week. So it's nice to just have a break and be able to have a nice gym to do all that stuff at the hotel. So that it does make a difference. When you just have your own space to do all that.

[Jess Pagola]

You literally can't, like, work out in the gym. Sometimes it gets so crowded because everyone's there. So what's everyone's travel day routines? And what is something that makes you feel really settled? Like, are you. You get in and you unpack. You don't unpack. You take a shower. You're like, what's, what's the rundown when you fly in?

[Madison Keys]

I like to fully unpack.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You like to move in?

[Madison Keys]

I like to move in. I move into my hotel room.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I love it.

[Madison Keys]

I hate living out of a suitcase. I always want to feel the most normal, I guess, that I can. So for me, going through my suitcase every single day just reminds me that I'm on the road and not home. So my husband always laughs because he's like, it looks like we've lived here for five years. I was like, as it should.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, I'm with you on that. I definitely love to unpack and make sure everything's hung up and get all the toiletries out on the. In the bathroom. So, yeah, are on the road so much.

[Jenny Brady]

I never unpack my clothes. I. I have packing cubes, and I live out of my packing cubes. So I have a packing cube for everything. So I have about 10 different packing cubes. I usually always unpack my toiletries. Usually I'll have an extra bag or carry on where I put things that I don't use every single day. And I put it in the bag and then I put it away in the closet. I like my room spotless. Like, it's, like, very sterile.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

So you wouldn't like my room?

[Jenny Brady]

No, Des. I go into your room to make me feel at home, but then I go back to mine.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

She will clean my room.

[Jenny Brady]

I need. I need sterile. Yes. I go to your room to clean.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Exactly.

[Jenny Brady]

Organized to feel like I'm at home. Yes, exactly. But yeah, I. First thing I do when I get to the hotel is usually shower and then I go lay in bed and look at doordash or Uber eats again

[Jess Pagola]

food or the in room dining menu

[Jenny Brady]

or the honestly QR code. First thing I do is look at the in room dining menu and I suss that out. And usually if it looks good, I'll order room service ASAP while I'm taking a shower. That way it's ready.

[Jess Pagola]

I would say I'm like a hybrid. I used to live, like, out of my suitcase, and then I think, I don't know, as I've gotten older or whatever. And you're, like, trying to find ways to. To deal with traveling more. Just because we're traveling so much. I have started to unpack more because I do feel like, okay, like I'm at home a little bit. And I. It's still a little bit of a hybrid situation. I don't fully unpack the whole suitcase, but I do a little bit. We'll see how much I get there. So I'm a bit of a hybrid situation. This is a good question for you, Jenny. Do you order the same breakfast, like, at every hotel or when you're at every tournament traveling, Are you same every day? I want to say yes.

[Jenny Brady]

Yes, same thing.

[Jess Pagola]

And what is that usually?

[Jenny Brady]

Well, it's not the same every single week, but depending on how good the breakfast buffet is or what they have on the menu, let's just say if I'm ordering avocado toast with eggs, then I'm getting that every single day. And even if it's pretty mid, I'll still order it because I'm like, yeah, it was. It was good enough to eat it. But Something I definitely do look forward to is, you know, I wake up and I think, oh, yeah, I get to eat that again.

[Madison Keys]

So.

[Jess Pagola]

Does. Do you. Do you stick with, like, the same food routine or are you mixing it up?

[Madison Keys]

I am a little.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Well, a lot superstitious, so I will probably eat the same thing. Yeah, I try not to, but it just ends up happening to be eating the same thing. Like, once I. I think it was. Oh, my gosh, a few years ago, we were winning here in Paris, and I just. I have to eat the same thing. I was sick of it. But of course I'm going to eat the same thing. So, you know, it's the winning routine, but, yeah, I think I'd stick to it.

[Jess Pagola]

I feel like also, it's like a. It's like part of our routine, and I feel like we like to get into routines sometimes. Like, when you're winning matches and your things are going well, you don't want to, like, stray from something that might throw something off. Especially when it comes to food. You just want to keep it. You know what you're gonna get.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah. See, I'm clearly a psychopath, and I don't ever want to get stuck in the same routine. Because then, like, let's say you go downstairs one day and it's slightly different. Then I get in my own head and I'm like, well, now the whole day is going to be off. So I try to avoid that by never doing the exact same thing.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Keeps on toes, I guess.

[Madison Keys]

So I have to do something different every single day. So I never have the same meal.

[Jess Pagola]

Okay. But when it comes to recovery and sleep, she. You're the sleep queen of all of us.

[Madison Keys]

Well, yeah, that's the same.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. So that's the same always. And what's your routine for sleep?

[Madison Keys]

Well, you start with your LED light mask for your skincare, and then you get ready for bed, you do your whole skincare routine. You brush your teeth. And then I get in bed, blackout shades down. And then I've started traveling with my Apple TV as well. Just as, like, another thing to feel like I'm at home and I put on a show, and then once it's ready for bed, I have my eye mask. I have a sound machine I travel with.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Okay, you travel with more things than I do.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, my.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I don't have a sound machine.

[Madison Keys]

It's really small.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I just use an app.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, but I'm fine watching Netflix on my phone.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, man, that's awesome. What do you think your favorite room features are? Does like, like a nice vanity.

[Madison Keys]

A good.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, I love a good, like, shower. Love a good tub, too. What would be your favorite bath? I definitely. The good lighting. Definitely counter space. Because for all the eight toiletry bags, you have to, you know, you want to feel like you're at home. I do. Like when there's, like, a nice shade, like, just so you can just not be in bed. You can just kind of read by the window and, like, maybe a little bit of a balcony.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, a balcony. That is nice, Addy.

[Madison Keys]

I love somewhere else to sit. That's not your bed. I feel like that's always such a big thing every week. And then I love a good shower if it has a good shower.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Shower pressure.

[Madison Keys]

I love high shower pressure. And so, like, the water can get so hot my skin is red when I get out of it. We're gonna have a great day,

[Jess Pagola]

Benny,

[Jenny Brady]

for me lighting, I don't love harsh lighting. I like to come back to the room and have very light lighting.

[Madison Keys]

You like mood lighting?

[Jenny Brady]

Mood lighting, exactly.

[Jess Pagola]

Maybe a dimmer.

[Jenny Brady]

I love a dimmer. Dim. Dim lights. A little light by the bed is really nice. Nothing too harsh, nothing too bright. Also, huge fan of a very nice shower. I spend a lot of time in the shower, so good water pressure is very important as well. I agree. And like you guys both said, somewhere to sit that isn't your bed is also nice just to switch things up so you don't feel like you're just in bed all day.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

All day?

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

Am I the only one that does baths here?

[Madison Keys]

I said baths.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You take baths. I love a good bath, but you guys definitely give me a good lush balm. Like, those are so great.

[Jess Pagola]

Yes. I think a good. I love taking Epsom salt baths, especially for recovery. So I love when there's a good tub. I know Jenny and Maddie are looking at me like I'm crazy, but they

[Desiree Krafczyk]

just want the shower pressure.

[Jenny Brady]

That's fine.

[Jess Pagola]

You do you. Would you ever. You never take baths, Jenny.

[Jenny Brady]

I've probably taken a handful of baths since I've been an adult.

[Madison Keys]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jess Pagola]

Cracks me up. Okay, let's move on to our best case travel scenarios. We know we've had a lot of bad ones. Whatever. Best case scenario, what does your day look like for an ideal travel day?

[Madison Keys]

I love when you get to the airport and from, like, getting out of the car to being through security takes, like, 10 minutes. You kind of know you're gonna have a really good day. Things are gonna be great. You're gonna have no problems. And then you get to the hotel way before check in time and they're like, your room is ready.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Oh, that's the best.

[Madison Keys]

Things are so good. And then I always really love whenever we get somewhere if we can not have to rush and like go straight to the courts and everything. Sometimes you have the day off if you can. I unpack, so I move in and then just kind of being able to like walk around the city, grab a coffee, go to dinner. I just feel like you really kind of settle into wherever you are.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. You don't want to feel like you're like rushing when you get to a spot and you're just like, oh, it's go, go, go. Like you say, decompress a little bit, maybe go to the gym, maybe just like roll out, do some mobility and then walk around, explore the city. I'm a matcha drinker, so coffee is probably not it, but yeah, I mean that would be, I guess, the best case scenario for travel.

[Jenny Brady]

Jenny, I feel like Maddie really summed it up. My favorite thing is once you get to the hotel, unpacking or not unpacking and just being able to walk outside and explore the city a little bit, that's something I love to do, is just to get some steps in, you know, kind of check out my surroundings, see where I'm going to go the next morning for coffee, what looks good for breakfast, you know, just kind of explore and then also explore the amenities of the hotel as well.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, I think that I have kind of moved into like when I travel now, I don't usually practice the same day. I used to always be like, oh, I have to go to site within like an hour and book a court and work out and do all this stuff. Now I definitely take it way more chill and I'm like, oh, I'm not gonna hit today. Like it's a travel day, I don't need to rush. And I feel like it's so much better that way. Also, like possibly injuring yourself because you're like tired or jet lag, you're not really whatever. And you're, you're just out there because you're just. You mentally think you have to do it. It really doesn't make much of a difference. Yeah. When it comes down to it. So I have definitely moved into like a much slower day. Early check in sounds amazing. Like Jenny said, exploring the spots around you, not feeling you have to rush the whole time. I would say shout out to the West Palm beach airport because flying out of there particularly, you could literally Go through, check in security in 10 minutes. You can get there. It's amazing. You get there with. Yeah, you can show up like 45 minutes before your flight. It's incredible.

[Jenny Brady]

It literally took me eight minutes.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Jenny Brady]

So a few weeks ago, yeah. From the second I literally walked in the double doors to drop my bags to getting to my gate, I was like, wait, I'm here in eight minutes. Now I have two hours to sit at the gate because I like to arrive early.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, see, that's another. Well, I'll add that into our next section, which is a rapid fire travel section, actually we're gonna do about vocation spots, so I won't get into that. But do you like to get to the airport early, late, on time? I definitely like to push it later. I'm not an early airport person.

[Jenny Brady]

Me and Maddie.

[Madison Keys]

No. Ideal situation. I'm walking, I'm grabbing a bottle of water and walking to the gate as they're starting to board my zone.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Oh, wow. No, I don't know. I don't do that. I have to.

[Jenny Brady]

That's way too close for me.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Maybe, like, yeah, I'm already sweating in the airport. Like, already stressed. Like, I need to be there at least an hour before just to. I'm the person that kind of looks at the gate and you're like, it's there. Okay, now I know it's there. It's not leaving without me. Then I'm gonna go roam around.

[Jenny Brady]

Yes, I'm the same.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Jenny Brady]

Somewhere.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

Didn't you text us? That's the one. She's like, I can't find my gate, but I need. And we're like, you're leaving? And she's like, no, but I just need to make sure there.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

We're like, okay, just make sure. It wasn't leaving without me. You know, just gotta make sure you physically see it.

[Jess Pagola]

All right, so I'm just. He's gonna ask all of you, but you have to choose one, Jenny. No. What do we call it? It's this or that.

[Madison Keys]

No lingering.

[Jess Pagola]

I mean, you can linger after, but this or that? So I'll start with you, Jenny. Beach vacation or urban getaway?

[Jenny Brady]

Urban getaway.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, because why? You can elaborate. You can linger now. Oh, okay.

[Jenny Brady]

So I can elaborate because I live 10 minutes away from the beach.

[Jess Pagola]

That's very valid. Yeah. Does beach.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I never grew up by the beach, but now I do live by the beach, but I don't go to the beach.

[Jess Pagola]

It's just different. But you still want a vacation?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I want a vacation at the beach. Like, I. Yeah, I want that poolside and the beach side. You know, get a little bit of both.

[Madison Keys]

I think I want a beach vacation. I feel like we're in big city so often for the tournaments that the nice ocean. I don't know if I'm actually going to go onto the sand, but I'll be at the pool looking at the beach.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Same.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Like, we want to be at the pool with the cocktail. Kind of like looking out and, like,

[Madison Keys]

you see the sand and you hear the ocean.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You don't have the soundscape of the ocean. No sand between your toes. You just relax.

[Jenny Brady]

Wow. Can I change my answer?

[Jess Pagola]

Jenny's overthinking it.

[Madison Keys]

She said she was not easily influenced, and I feel like that was a lie.

[Jess Pagola]

I said this or that because I knew there was something.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

That was gonna be changed. I think I'm with you, though, Jenny. Urban getaway. I think I'm. I would rather be able to, like. Especially if it's like a nice hotel where it's quiet around, but then you can easily walk into the city and do a bunch of stuff. I always think that's the best case scenario for me because I feel like I can get a little bit of everything. I'm not a huge beach person either. I'm just. Yeah. I don't know. Growing up in Florida. Yeah. I'm too close to the beach. Mountain adventure or tropical aesthetic escape. Back to you, Jenny.

[Jenny Brady]

I'm gonna go with mountain adventure because I live in the tropic climate in Florida, so I'm going to go with something that I don't get to experience every day.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I'm gonna say mountain getaway as well, because I think we talked about maybe doing that. That would be unreal. Just being in a cabin or, like, looking at mountains and hiking just sounds great.

[Madison Keys]

Mountain. Mountain adventure. I don't think. I think we're pretty much in the tropics most of the year, so I like. I like a change of scenery. We don't get to really play around in a lot of different places that have that, I guess outside of maybe Indian Wells. But I've always loved mountains, especially if it's, like, super snowy and they're so pretty and you can go. Well, I guess I don't really go skiing, but you can.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You can look at it.

[Madison Keys]

You can look at them while you're having koozie drink. Watching people ski. Sounds fun.

[Jess Pagola]

I would agree. Mountain adventure.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I think we should make that happen.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. We're in the sun, in hot weather, all the Time. I think we're like, we're over it. We want the. The mountain adventure. Okay. Action packed or total rest?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Jenny?

[Jenny Brady]

Oh, I'm gonna go with action packed.

[Jess Pagola]

If you said total rest, I was gonna be like, you're lying for sure.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, yeah, I would go with action packed. As long as I'm not coming up with the itinerary, I'll do it.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Don't worry.

[Jenny Brady]

Yes.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I'm the Dora the Explorer. Yeah. Action packed for me. I need to go. Like, I will go around everywhere and find things to do. Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

I say action packed. As long as there's one day of total relaxing, I'm not leaving the hotel. I'm going to the spa. No one talked to me. That sounds great. Too quiet.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

One day, Jez.

[Jess Pagola]

I like action packed. That's. Yeah, I like to. I like doing adventurous things. So, like a mountain adventure, action packed vacation. Like ziplining. Yeah, that's right up. Right up my alley.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Jenny's in for ziplining.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, I've done it. It's so much fun. All right, Glamping or boutique hotel?

[Jenny Brady]

Stay Glamping. Glamping. Yeah. I've actually always wanted to go camping, but glamping sounds way better.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, I would do glamping. I've definitely done camping, but glamping just sounds much better.

[Madison Keys]

Boutique hotel.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, I was gonna say no chance.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

That is for sure. Boutique hotel.

[Jess Pagola]

Trust the glamping part of it like that. It's. It's not camping. It's glamping.

[Madison Keys]

It's too close to camping. I like hotels. Like, I actually like really nice hotels.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

She wants to see with the really nice hotel.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, that's true. I would do glamping.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I think it'd be fun.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, I would.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

We would just drag Maddie.

[Jess Pagola]

It's fine that we would be glamping and she'd be staying.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

She'd be like, how are you doing?

[Madison Keys]

I'll be on my balcony and wave. Like, hi, I'm going back inside.

[Jess Pagola]

All right.

[Madison Keys]

Well, I.

[Jess Pagola]

Obviously travel is such a big part of our lives and having places where you can recharge and feel cared for obviously makes a big difference. As we've talked about, always feeling like we're at home makes such a big difference over the course of our never ending tennis season. And that's something me personally, I've always loved about World of Hyatt. So if you want more one of a kind moments, you can find them through World of Hyatt. And it's free to Sign [e-mail] or download the world of Hyatt app. So thank you to h.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You've heard us talk about One Skin before, and honestly, whether you're the kind of person who's constantly trying every new skincare thing that drops, or you've been loyal to the same two products for years, I feel like everyone hits that point where you look in the mirror and you're like, wait, my skin's just not doing what it used to do? That's really what One Skin changed for me. It wasn't just like, oh, this is a nice moisturizer. It actually works differently than anything else I've tried.

[Jenny Brady]

Because what's interesting is as we age, some of our skin cells basically stop functioning the way they should. Scientists actually call them zombie cells, which is unsettling, but also kind of makes sense. And those are what drive a lot of the stuff. We start noticing fine lines, loss of firmness, that dullness that kind of sneaks up on you.

[Jess Pagola]

And One Skin's OS1 peptide is specifically designed to target that. So you're still getting everything you want from good skin care. Hydration, smoother texture. But it's also doing something most skin care just isn't built to do.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

For me, I've been using OS1 serum and the first thing I've noticed was how it feels. It's super lightweight, not greasy at all. But over time, what really stood out is how much more even and just healthier my skin looks. And I've tried a lot of skincare, so I don't say that lightly. This is one of the few things that actually stuck with my routine.

[Jenny Brady]

I even got my friend to try it and now they're fully on board too, which kind of says everything. And it's not just me. One Skin has four peer reviewed clinical studies, over 10,000 five star reviews, and they've even been recognized by Bloomberg as a leader in skin longevity.

[Jess Pagola]

Born from over a decade of longevity research, One Skin's OS1 peptide is proven to target the visible signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. For a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using code PlayersBox at OneSkin Co PlayersBox. That's 15 off OneSkin Co with code PlayersBox. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

This next segment of our show is sponsored by Quints.

[Jenny Brady]

There is nothing better after a long day than getting into your own bed. Soft sheets, the perfect weight, everything more comfortable than any hotel.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Quince has Made it all possible. And their bedding feels elevated. Real well made and just makes getting into bed something to actually look forward to.

[Jess Pagola]

If you're ready for a spring bedroom refresh, check out Quince. Their duvet covers are so breathable and airy, you'll feel comfortable all night in any temperature.

[Madison Keys]

They also make mulberry silk pillowcases, which helps keep your skin smooth and hydrated overnight. And the best part, it's 50 to 80% cheaper than similar brands. They work directly with ethical manufacturers and cut out the middleman. So you're paying for quality, not markup.

[Jenny Brady]

I got the cotton velvet channel quilt in chestnut and didn't expect to notice a huge difference. But I truly can't imagine my bedroom without Quince.

[Madison Keys]

Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com playersbox for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com players box for free shipping and 360 day returns. Quint.com players box let's get back to the show now. Thank you, Quint, for sponsoring this next segment.

[Jess Pagola]

Maddie, I think we're going to kick off some more Tennessee headlines going into Roland Garros.

[Madison Keys]

We are going into rolling Garros. And I think we'll start with everyone's best memory from this tournament. Jenny, do you want to start?

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah. So actually I lost this match, but it will definitely stay ingrained in my memory. It was probably one of the coolest atmospheres I've ever had to experience. It was in, I believe, 2017. I played Kiki Mladenovich on Philippe Chatrier. There's my good job, pardon my French. And I lost 9, 7 in the third set. And let me tell you, that French crowd was electric. It was such a cool experience to play on that court against a French player with the French crowd. Obviously 99% of the people there were cheering for her at one point. They were doing the wave. It was, it was a very, very cool experience and, you know, bummed I lost the match. It would have been probably cooler if I won, but it was definitely something, you know, an experience I'll never forget. Des?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, my, I guess, best memory was winning the mixed Grand Slam here back in 2021. That was amazing experience, kind of like surreal in a way. Just, it was my first one and I played with a partner that I'd never played with before. And to kind of just win, like such a great achievement and accolade was really Cool. And to do it in Paris, was it. It was amazing. Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

Maddie, I think my best memory is I made the semifinals in 2018, I believe it was. I ended up losing to Sloan, and I did get into it with the chair umpire, which I'll never forget that part of the match, but moved on from that, clearly. But, yeah, it was such an amazing. Such an amazing, you know, almost two full weeks in Paris, and I'd never gotten. I think I had never gotten even into the quarterfinals at Roland Garro, so that was a huge accomplishment for me.

[Jess Pagola]

I would say. I want to thrust a bone here, Des, and say, like, I mean, I've had some good memories, but I do feel like it was so fun when we played doubles together, because we played one year and we. Did we make fourth round or quarters?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Fourth round. Yeah, we lost Cab Lincoln, Mertens.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, we lost. Yeah. That's crazy, actually. We lost the sapling and Mertens in the fourth round, and it was just so much fun. And, like, that was the farthest. We were really young and, like, the best we'd ever done at a slam, to be honest. Like, I don't think singles. I had really done anything since then. And we got to play on some really cool courts, and we won some really good matches, and it was, like, the first time we played together. So I always. I don't know, I always remember our friendship blossomed. Yes, exactly. It's cute.

[Madison Keys]

Any favorite memories? Watching Roland Garros growing up or as a player, Anything like that? Jenny, you can start again.

[Jenny Brady]

Ooh. I mean, the numerous times that Rafa has won the tournament. Yeah, I mean, he's won more than. He's lost matches. He's won more titles than matches he's lost.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

It's an incredible.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, it's an incredible achievement. I think it's something that can probably never be replicated. I hope it's never replicated, or I hope no one ever breaks his record, because I'm a huge Rafa fan. And, you know, I think that's something everyone, you know, knows about Roland Garros is it's Rafa Nadal's backyard as tournament. He's an absolute beast.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, I think any. Anything with Rafa. I mean, Rafa is one of my favorite people to watch and players to watch. It's just. It's amazing what he's done. And honestly, like, growing up, it was even watching, like, you play, I mean, not growing up, but like, a few years ago. But, like, I was in college. I was in college. And then you obviously have been on tour. So, like, watching you, like, play and, like, big tournaments in.

[Madison Keys]

Rolling.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Gross. It was. It's kind of weird to think about it that I was watching you on TV while I'm, like, you know, like, playing me not on tour.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

What'd you say?

[Jenny Brady]

I said, while you were playing me?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

At ucla. Exactly. So, yeah.

[Madison Keys]

I think a memory I'll never forget from here is when they still had the old court one. It was like the bullring. And it was such a. It was such a good court. And I was watching Stevie Johnson play Stan Varinka first round, and we were sitting in his box, and you end up super close to the court, and Stevie is on the far side, and he hits this insane kick serve to the outside, and Stan's foot is almost touching the tarp all the way at the back. And he rips this backhand down the line. Winner off of, like, one of the best serves I've ever seen Stevie hit. And I look at whoever I was sitting next to, and I was like, I think Stan's gonna win the tournament. That was crazy. And then, sure enough, he ended up winning. He won the tournament. And I just. I watched every single one of his matches just because he was playing insane tennis. And it was just one of those weeks where you see someone's level and you're like, yeah, no one's beating you that week.

[Jess Pagola]

I think my favorite moment opposite, I guess. Of what, Jenny? But when Federer finally won the French, and when Sutterling, I think, beat Rafa in the semis. Was it the semis or the quarters? Whatever. Rafa was out of the tournament with one of the only losses ever in his life. And everyone was like, this is Roger's chance to win the tournament. But, like, he still has to win the freaking tournament. So I was just. Yeah, that was a cool moment, I think, for him, finally getting through that. And he ended up being soderling in the finals. And I think that was one of my favorites alongside Rafa. Winning it how many times? 14, 13. 14.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Don't quote us, but something up there.

[Jess Pagola]

A lot. In the teens, it's been a lot.

[Madison Keys]

Roland Garros. No elc. We still have lines, people. It's one of the few tournaments. Thoughts? Feelings?

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. For everyone. I don't know. It's electronic line calling. So now pretty much every event besides here, right, we have a computer system that calls the lines. So here is one of the only tournaments. And maybe I think Wimbledon just switched. I'm not sure they have full line Umpires. So there's people calling all of the marks and checking the marks by hand, and that tends to create a lot of drama. I mean, there's still drama even when we have electronic line calling.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. So people don't trust the electronic line calling.

[Jess Pagola]

It's definitely not right all the time, though.

[Madison Keys]

It's no. Electronic line calling is not right sometimes.

[Jess Pagola]

It's definitely not right, but it kind of ends the discussion. Right. Like, there's a decision that's made, been made, and you can't really fight that. It is what it is. I do think it's good for that. Yeah, it's. It's crazy that, like, I played a. The practice set today, and I had full. They were doing this thing for the kids, and they had full umpires on the court in linesman. And it was just bizarre because I literally. It's the only tournament now, pretty much.

[Madison Keys]

I played. I played the 125 at the Lagada Racing Club the week before, and it was the first time that we had lines, people. And it totally throws you off. Threw me off. But I. I kind of like the drama when people fight with the chair. They come down, like, they do this, and you're like, it's not touching. And they're like, no, see, see, right there? I'm like, no space. That was. That was from when they swept the lines. They left too much space, and they're like, no, I think it's touching. And the. My favorite part is when the TV will, like, the broadcasting will get really messy, and they show, like, a Hawkeye bounce, and they show that it's out on tv, and so you'll finish a match and you'll have gotten in a fight with the chair umpire about what the call is. And then you get off of the court and you have all these text messages like, you were right. You were robbed. Like, the call was wrong. Yeah. And then you go into the office and you're like, see, I knew I was right.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You know, the best is when they go down.

[Madison Keys]

They.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

They come down from the chair and they look at it, and they're kind of like different angles to make sure, you know, that it's in or out. And then they go, no, it was in. Then that's like when you go off. But I don't know, It's. It is weird that it's not electronic line calling. So.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, well, I played. I played a couple weeks ago. I played 100k on the green clay, and there were no electronic line calling. It was lines, people and There were only two, so they have to, like, run side to side after the serve, and then, like, during the point to cover the lines, and then there's a chair of hire. So it's a little bit better at the grand slam level, knowing that all the lines are being watched and there's no moving eyes. But I'm a little bit indifferent. I think on the clay, it makes sense that there's no electronic line calling because you can still check the mark, whereas obviously on a hardcourt, you know, it's not like you can just like, walk up and check the mark. Even though sometimes, you know, depending on the. The speed of the ball that is hit, you can sometimes leaves a mark. But, yeah, it'll be. It'll be interesting.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

It adds drama.

[Jess Pagola]

You know, there will be lots of drama.

[Jenny Brady]

And then the close calls sometimes, you know, it depends who's looking at it, if. If it's in or out.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

But, yeah, it's all over Twitter or whatever. It's great. It's good entertainment for us if we're not in that situation.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. More fun to watch.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah. It doesn't happen to us.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yes.

[Madison Keys]

Gail Monfils is playing his last Roland Garros, which is sad.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

So sad.

[Madison Keys]

But I'm sure he'll definitely put a show on, which we always enjoy watching. And his wife, Alina Svitolina, wrote a very sweet message to him, I think.

[Jess Pagola]

Players Tribune. Yes.

[Madison Keys]

And the players here.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

And I think we're all going to be really sad when Gail is gone.

[Jess Pagola]

He's so nice for anyone that. I mean, how he is is how he is in person. Obviously. You see, like, this passionate, big, smiling, funny personality. Like, he's totally the same. Super nice. They just did that special night for him. Honoring Galen. Friends. Friends.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Did anyone watch that?

[Jess Pagola]

I mean, no, it was really cool. They did it on Chatrier. And, yeah, I was telling them, like, he plays video games. I like to play video games. And he was literally, like, got all these cameras following him. And I see him and I hadn't really seen him. I was like, oh. Like, he gave me a hug. He's like, mike, enjoy tonight. Like, have fun. Congrats. And he's like, yeah, yeah. He's like, we're still. We gotta play Call of Duty, right? Like, we still have to play. And Elena's, like, standing there and she's, like, rolling her eyes, and I'm just, like, laughing, like, aren't you about to, like, just do something really cool and important? But he's still asking me, like, hey, we gonna Play video games one time because he's just so nice. So, yeah, I have nothing but great things to say from him. And honestly, I think the greatest athlete we've probably ever had player. I mean, he played tennis differently than anybody else. It's incredible. And I'm still doing it.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

So many people are like, you can be so much better than what you are if you just focus on these things. But that is his thing. He is such a showman. And, I mean, it is so much fun to watch him. Like, anytime he steps on the court and he doesn't matter who you are, what you're ranking, he will always say, hi, like, say, how are you? Like, it does not matter. And it just. It's just such a. Yeah. He's just such a nice guy.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah. He's so extremely talented. He is one of the players that, regardless of what tournament that I was playing, if he was there, playing, I would go out and watch him in person just because he's so entertaining. He's so fun to watch. And he, like, makes you feel good just watching tennis.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

So charismatic, too.

[Madison Keys]

He also had a phenomenal tennis career. Yeah. Like, when you actually hear and read about all of the things that he did, absolutely incredible. Do we have any rolling garros predictions on the men's side or a dark horse? And you can't say sinner. I need someone other than Yannick.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I think Hodar will be the dark horse.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

He's in a. It looked like he was in a pretty good section where he. Yeah, it's. He's not in Yannick's side, is he? I don't think he's in his quarter. Definitely not. So we'll see. He's been playing so well. We'll see if he can kind of carry that pressure with him through a slam because it's. Now he's seeded.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

He was 600. Oh, my gosh, almost 700 last year at this time. And then now he's seeded to play French Open. It's crazy what a year can do.

[Madison Keys]

I think Ben has a very good opportunity to have a very good run as well. There's some really. There's some tough first rounds. I think the one that kind of stood out to me was Novak is playing the Pescki Paracard.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

That'll be an interesting first round.

[Jess Pagola]

Yes.

[Jenny Brady]

Yes.

[Jess Pagola]

Three out of five with his serve is a mental battle.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah. And the French home crowd.

[Jess Pagola]

Yes. And we know Novak likes to play off the crowd.

[Madison Keys]

It kind of feels like.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, he likes that.

[Jess Pagola]

He likes being the villain a little bit.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

And I think it pushes him.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, he'll kind of like a little pretend like he doesn't. But like at the same time, he likes that. The crowd will be rooting against him

[Desiree Krafczyk]

a bit, I think. Drama.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jenny Brady]

I have to go with. I have to go with the Americans here. Tommy Paul and Lerner Tien. They're both playing actually in the finals of. Tommy's in the finals right now in Hamburg, and Lerner's in the finals of Geneva, I believe.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Oh, yeah, he beat Booblik yesterday in that.

[Jenny Brady]

Yes. Playing really good tennis. And then I don't know where Arthur Feast is at with his health, but, you know, if he's. He's playing good. Yeah. First round matchup against Walrinka. So.

[Jess Pagola]

And then the two French, Gail and guest on. Yes, Two French wild. Or are they both wild cards?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I don't know.

[Jess Pagola]

I know they're both playing each other.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

First round corn match.

[Jenny Brady]

A lot of entertainment shots.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

A lot of entertainments in that one.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. Literally a hundred drop shots. Oh, my God.

[Jenny Brady]

Literally 100 drop shots. Okay, well, we're gonna move on to our next segment. And for those of you who have not been here before, we do a segment called who Am I? This is where we give three clues to a current player or former player on the ATP or WTA side. And our fans and ourselves, we guess and we reveal our answers the following week. So, Des, would you like to remind us of your closing clues from last week?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Okay, so my clues from last week were won the 2017 Junior Davis Cup. Proof that tennis can also be theater. And beaten top players despite being undersized. And my player was quarantine mute. I hope I said that right, because he's quite the showman too. Little theater in there, little drama. Jenny, would you like to share your clues?

[Jenny Brady]

Yes. So my three clues are I reached at least one tour level final for 19 consecutive years. I married another professional tennis player. You will find me on the highlight reel during the day and streaming on Twitch at night.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Anyone know who that is?

[Madison Keys]

But we can't reveal. I guess you can't reveal.

[Jess Pagola]

We reveal the following episode.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You gotta tune in for. For next week.

[Jenny Brady]

You have to tune in next week to find out if your guess is correct. Okay, so again, if anyone is new here, we usually conclude every episode with our fan questions or most recently, low stakes advice. This is where we answer your questions or simply provide our link. Low stakes advice. So let's get into some low stakes advice. Okay, first question or first advice? A recreation Match called a ball out at love 40 on my serve. That was definitely in and I won the game. Guilt or tell.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, that's bad. That's.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah, I think.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

You won the game.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. No, you have to say something.

[Jess Pagola]

But what are you gonna say? Like, it's obviously over. Like, is the person gonna be like, oh, hey, sorry, by the way, like, that game that you won. I called that ball out.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Okay, well, this happened in our doubles match, like, before serving the breaker.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, but that was like. They didn't mean to do that, though.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah, but do you go back and redo it? You can't.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, so. Well, I think they just gotta stick with what they did.

[Madison Keys]

Don't do it again.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, don't.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Arm is coming for you.

[Jenny Brady]

I mean, they were down love 40 and still won the game. So

[Jess Pagola]

they said deaf in. Like, it wasn't even, like, oh, it was kind of close. And I just kind of. Like, I was down low 40 and I just said, yeah, I was out. Death in is bad.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Deaf bad.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah.

[Jenny Brady]

In a recreational match.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

Maybe you don't have to tell, but don't do it again.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah, I don't know if that makes it better or worse. Okay, next one. I was talking to a guy on a dating app, and he loves playing tennis. I like watching it. So I lied and said, me too. Now he wants our first date to be a tennis session. What do I do?

[Madison Keys]

Oh, that's tough.

[Jess Pagola]

The fact that they said tennis session, you know, that they really don't play tennis or watch at all.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Oh, I think you just tell him and say, hey, like, I really just. I really liked you. I lied, and here we are. But.

[Madison Keys]

Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you just meant, do you watch?

[Jess Pagola]

Well, it says, I like watching it. So I lied and said, me too.

[Madison Keys]

About playing.

[Jess Pagola]

She watches.

[Madison Keys]

She watches live.

[Jess Pagola]

Okay.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

And so that was her way of getting in the door for the date, you know?

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Jenny Brady]

But she's gonna show up and hold the racket on, like, the opposite side.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

But maybe it'll be cute.

[Jess Pagola]

How to play a quick lesson.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

She'll be like, oh, I don't know

[Madison Keys]

how to do this.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You know, it's a first date. Maybe, you know, they'll.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah. Except she lied already. She needs to go into a quick tennis lesson and just, like, hold the racket. Because then she can be like, well, I didn't say I was any good or just say, hey, oh, you can teach me. Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

Like you're saying, go get a lesson and learn the basics.

[Jenny Brady]

Oh, my God, he's touching my hand

[Desiree Krafczyk]

while I hit my forehand.

[Jess Pagola]

Like, watch a YouTube, like, quick tutorial just to, like, get some of.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

And don't call it a tennis session.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, don't say tennis session. Sounds weird.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Let's go play some tennis.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Jenny Brady]

What's your best advice for handling pre match nerves? I'm running 52 marathons in 52 weeks this year, and every Sunday morning, my nerves go, go crazy. Wow.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I mean, that's impressive.

[Madison Keys]

First of all, 52 marathons. So they're running a marathon every week? Week. God.

[Jenny Brady]

Wow. And we.

[Jess Pagola]

And you're asking us.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I mean, I don't even like running, so I.

[Madison Keys]

That's.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I'm like, the last person.

[Madison Keys]

The thought of that is, like, makes me want to throw up.

[Jess Pagola]

How did their nerves have time to nerve out? Like, you're running every week.

[Madison Keys]

You'll be okay.

[Jess Pagola]

Yes. You'll be fine.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Yeah. I don't really know. I don't have good advice.

[Jenny Brady]

I think for you, the best advice for handling pre match nerves would be embracing it and knowing that the nerves mean that you care. And clearly you want to do well in your 52 marathons.

[Jess Pagola]

So.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

True.

[Jenny Brady]

Maybe each week just embrace it until it becomes a routine, and then something that you know is normal. And then I don't think the nerves ever go away, but I think you can do things to make them. Whatever works for you, you know, each week, I think, is an opportunity to find out what Jenny's giving life advice.

[Madison Keys]

Also, as you are doing it week in and week out, I think your confidence will build and you'll start to feel a little bit better. And I think the nerves will eventually.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

And that's like anything.

[Madison Keys]

Become more manageable.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Right? But yeah, I think.

[Jess Pagola]

Yeah, like you said, if. I think by the 10th marathon on week 10, I'm numb. I mean, you got to be like, in some sort of routine. Well, the nerves will be a lot less than the first one.

[Jenny Brady]

And also, I mean, the body will be numb.

[Madison Keys]

Just think about how impressed we are. The fact that you're running any.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

That's amazing. So that's great.

[Jess Pagola]

Good for you.

[Jenny Brady]

I love playing tennis and being invited, but I don't like socializing. Any tips?

[Desiree Krafczyk]

I'm looking at Maddie.

[Madison Keys]

Play tennis and then leave. I don't know.

[Jess Pagola]

Play singles only.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

Oh, don't play doubles if you don't want to socialize with your partner.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

Because I. Yeah, yeah. I. I'm a social butterfly.

[Madison Keys]

I do that.

[Jess Pagola]

So singles would be one less person you'd have to talk to. Maybe easier yeah.

[Jenny Brady]

Singles and then say you can only be there if it's 10 to 12. You have to leave at 12.

[Desiree Krafczyk]

You have somewhere to be or just Irish goodbye.

[Madison Keys]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jess Pagola]

I would say just. Yeah. Come up with other plans, alternative exits and play singles.

[Jenny Brady]

Yeah. Okay. Well, that's it for our low stakes advice. Don't forget to watch us on the players box YouTube page and send us fan questions or low stakes advice to our email at the players box pod gmail.com or DM us on Instagram. You can also sign up for ad free listening every week and an enjoy even more behind the scenes of the group chat. Thanks everyone for joining us and for everyone who was here in the live audience joining us. Yeah,

[Madison Keys]

thank you.