Featuring
Shelby Evans
Sport and Globalization Research Aide
If you are looking forward to the Australian Open as much as I am, chances are you will enjoy the first full season of The Players Box podcast as much as I will. It’s not padded with experts or former players, instead it’s hosted by four of the top American women's players. Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk are best friends who let you share in their jokes and joy.
As an active tennis fan, I was cautiously optimistic when the group premiered the podcast during last year’s U.S. Open. They already have a lot of media responsibilities, and I wasn’t sure how a podcast would be different. The production quality is low: zoom calls and headphone microphones. Their ease with each other allows for conversations about their professional and personal lives that I have never seen a journalist capture.
Krawczyk is an Arizona State University Alumna who became a doubles specialist winning four grand-slam titles in mixed doubles. Brady is a Grand Slam finalist currently working her way back from a knee injury. Pegula and Keys are both ranked in the top ten in women’s singles, with multiple Grand Slam final appearances and Keys won the Australian Open in January of last year.
While recording the podcast, they shed the personas of tennis all-stars and begin episodes by sharing “unforced errors” of the week. They dig into the details of the moments after a tough loss or recount disastrous moments at practices. In a recent episode about the off-season Pegula details how anti-doping showed up at her house at 7 a.m. the morning after her dog had a medical emergency that kept her up until 4 a.m. Not only am I learning more about the ins-and-outs of the WTA tour and how these athletes operate day-to-day, I laugh along with the episodes that are reminiscent of my own catch-up phone calls with friends.
The Players Box strikes that proper balance of informational and silly that is ideal in a podcast. You can’t dispute the hosts’ expertise but they aren’t speaking from a place of superiority on the mic; they make you feel included and welcome in their conversation. I cannot recommend The Players Box enough for any sports fan. It positions elite athletes as real human beings in an authentic way, and that’s a rare achievement.