"In the middle of the players’ lounge there was just dog pee sitting there for like an hour": The rise of new WTA dogs discussed as Pegula, Keys, Brady and Krawczyk recount one negative

A growing number of dogs have become a familiar sight around the WTA Tour, and according to Jessica Pegula, it’s a trend that has accelerated rapidly in the past year.

Speaking on the Players Box podcast alongside Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, Pegula revealed just how many new canine companions have appeared on the circuit recently including at Indian Wells.

“I met Aryna’s new dog, Ash, the other day on the grass field,” Pegula said. “Everyone seems to have their dogs here in Indian Wells. There are a lot of new dogs on tour.

“Ash is Aryna’s new dog and she’s very, very cute—like a baby. She’s so soft and small right now.

“And then there’s Mirra’s dog, Rassy. Apparently her mum promised it to her as a reward for reaching the top 20. I haven’t met it yet though. I don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl.”

Desirae Krawczyk is among those who regularly bring a dog to tournaments, sharing Pluto with her mother and joking that she “steals him” whenever she gets the chance.

“We share him. I steal him whenever I’m here. But yes, Pluto is here,” Krawczyk said. "Auntie Jenny gets to hang out with him and she’s been great taking him on walks and everything, so it’s been nice to have him around. He also met Jess, and Uncle Taylor gave him some treats—a lot of treats—the other day.”

Krawczyk added that Pluto had recently been spending time with another dog familiar to players on tour. “Taylor (Pegula's husband) was also watching Basil, who’s Giulia Olmos’ dog, another player. She’s brought him here the last couple of years,” she explained.

“I was playing fetch with him out on the lawn earlier before I left. They actually did a Tennis Warehouse shoot together, which I forgot to mention, but they were just hanging out and they’re familiar with each other. Yes, they’re friends.”

Despite the popularity of dogs among players, Pegula questioned whether the number of pets travelling on tour might be growing a little too quickly.

“Does everyone like having dogs at tournaments?” Pegula asked. “Or do we think it might be too many dogs? Because all of a sudden we’ve added like four or five in the last year, which is a lot.”

While Krawczyk said she loved having them around, she admitted there can sometimes be issues if owners aren’t careful. “Honestly, I love that there are dogs,” she said. “But there are some dogs, and some owners that don’t really take control of their dogs well enough.”

Jennifer Brady pointed out that the number of dogs on tour may actually be even higher than many players realise.

“There are actually more dogs than the ones you listed,” Brady said. “I can think of like five or six more.”

Among the recent additions are pets belonging to Marta Kostyuk, Anna Kalinskaya and Hailey Baptiste. “There have been a lot of new dog additions to the tour,” Brady added.

Madison Keys also recalled spotting another unexpected canine guest in the locker room earlier in the day. “There was a dog in the locker room earlier today and I was like, ‘Whoa, whose dog is that?’” Keys said. “Oh my God, I’m totally blanking on who it was. The lefty Italian.”

After a brief discussion, the group identified the owner as Martina Trevisan. For Pegula, the biggest reason dogs appear more often at certain tournaments is simply down to the environment. “I think we definitely see more here in Miami because there are big open fields,” she explained. “It’s probably easier to bring them here than in Europe or other places.”

However, Brady joked that the presence of so many dogs can sometimes create its own hazards. “They’re peeing where we stretch and warm up and everyone runs barefoot on the lawn,” she said. Krawczyk laughed: “That’s some grounding.”

Keys agreed she enjoys having dogs around but said basic responsibility from owners is important. “I’m totally cool with the dogs as long as they’re being taken care of,” she said. “I forget where we were last year, but in the middle of the players’ lounge there was just dog pee sitting there for like an hour. I was like, ‘Can someone please clean up the dog pee?’”

Pegula sympathised with the situation, describing it simply as “brutal.” Krawczyk, however, remains firmly in favour of the furry additions to life on tour. “I’m with you,” she said. “If they’re behaving and the owners are doing a good job with it, then I don’t mind. I love dogs, so all the dogs are great for me.”