Fresh off completing a career Grand Slam at just 22 years old, Carlos Alcaraz had already given the tennis world plenty to talk about after his 2026 Australian Open triumph. But while his four-set victory over Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena made headlines for historic reasons, it was something far less conventional that caught the attention of fellow pros Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk.
During an episode of their podcast, the American quartet expressed disbelief after discovering that Alcaraz had packed 22 pairs of shoes for his Melbourne campaign.
Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk React to Carlos Alcaraz’s Nike Collection
Alcaraz’s 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 win over Djokovic secured his first Australian Open title and completed his career Grand Slam. Two days after lifting the trophy, he offered fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his time in Australia through a carousel of photos on Instagram.
The post included images of him holding the trophy, celebrating with his team, a lighthearted moment in which he wore a gladiator helmet, a golf outing with tennis legend Roger Federer, and a snapshot of his extensive footwear lineup. That final image revealed 22 pieces of footwear, including 21 shoes and a pair of slippers from his longtime sponsor Nike.
It was that shoe collection that sparked animated reactions on ‘The Player’s Box Podcast,’ where Pegula, Keys, Brady, and Krawczyk dissected the surprising detail. Brady did not hold back her amazement, saying, “That is insane. I don’t even own 22 pairs of shoes.”
Krawczyk questioned whether the haul was entirely his own or sponsor-supplied, asking, “Do you think that Nike gave them? Like, he must have gotten shoes from Nike or do you think he actually brought 22 pairs?”
Pegula weighed in with her take, replying, “I think he brought a lot of them.” Keys admitted she had noticed the photo herself and was puzzled by the quantity, saying, “I saw the picture and was going to say, is that 22 pairs of casual shoes or…That seems like a lot.”
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Brady clarified that the collection did not even include his performance footwear, stating, “This doesn’t include tennis shoes.” Pegula confirmed that detail, adding, “I saw the picture. No tennis shoes.” Krawczyk summed up the group’s disbelief with a simple question: “How many times do you really need some shoes though.”
En route to his seventh Grand Slam singles title, Alcaraz defeated Adam Walton, Yannick Hanfmann, 32nd seed Corentin Moutet, 19th seed Tommy Paul, sixth seed Alex de Minaur, third seed Alexander Zverev, and ultimately Djokovic in the final.