Madison Keys facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Madison Keys

Keys at the 2023 DC Open
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Orlando, Florida, US
Born	(1995-02-17) February 17, 1995 (age 30) Rock Island, Illinois, US
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Turned pro	February 17, 2009
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Georgi Rumenov (2022–2023) Bjorn Fratangelo (2023–)
Prize money	US$21,227,692 20th in all-time rankings
Singles
Career record	398–220 (64.4%)
Career titles	10
Highest ranking	No. 5 (February 24, 2025)
Current ranking	No. 5 (February 24, 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2025)
French Open	SF (2018)
Wimbledon	QF (2015, 2023)
US Open	F (2017)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	RR (2016)
Olympic Games	SF – 4th (2016)
Doubles
Career record	28–38 (42.42%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 56 (October 24, 2022)
Current ranking	No. 536 (March 10, 2025)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (2014)
French Open	SF (2022)
Wimbledon	2R (2014)
US Open	2R (2012)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
US Open	2R (2022)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (2018), record 6–6

Madison Keys (born February 17, 1995) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 5 in singles by the WTA. Madison has won ten singles titles in her career. This includes a major win at the 2025 Australian Open. There, she beat the world No. 1 and two-time champion, Aryna Sabalenka. She was also a finalist at the 2017 US Open.

Madison started playing tennis after watching Venus Williams at Wimbledon on TV. She became a professional player on her 14th birthday. A few months later, she was one of the youngest players to win a WTA Tour match. Madison first entered the top 100 WTA rankings in 2013 when she was 17. Her first big success at a major tournament was in 2015. As a teenager, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.

In 2016, Madison joined the top 10 WTA players. She was the first American woman to do this since Serena Williams 17 years earlier. She reached the US Open final in 2017, but lost to her friend Sloane Stephens. After some years of injuries and lower results, Madison won her first major title at the 2025 Australian Open. She beat world No. 2 Iga Świątek and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a row.

Madison is known for her fast serve and powerful forehand. Her aggressive playing style has made her a leader in American tennis. She plays alongside players like Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin. She has done well on all types of courts. Madison has won at least one title on each surface. She has also reached at least the quarterfinals of all four major tournaments.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Madison Keys was born on February 17, 1995, in Rock Island, Illinois. Her parents, Rick and Christine, are both lawyers. Her dad was a college basketball player. Madison has an older sister, Sydney, and two younger sisters, Montana and Hunter. None of her sisters play tennis.

Madison's love for tennis started very young. When she was four, she watched Wimbledon on TV. She saw Venus Williams wearing a white tennis dress. Madison asked her parents for a similar dress. They told her she could have one if she started playing tennis. Her dad said that after this, Madison only wanted to hit balls.

She began playing at the Quad-City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois. She started taking regular lessons at age seven. By age nine, she was competing in tournaments. When she was ten, she moved to Florida with her mom and younger sisters. This was so she could train at the Evert Tennis Academy. This academy was started by John Evert and partly run by his sister, Chris Evert.

John Evert first thought Madison was very athletic and a natural talent. He said her strokes needed work. Madison noted her game was very different when she started. She didn't like long points and would run to the net to volley. Still, her coaches had high hopes. Chris Evert said that at 12, Madison was already an "all-court player." This means she could play well from anywhere on the court.

Madison Keys' Tennis Journey

Junior Career Highlights

When Madison was 12, she had a great record in girls' 12s matches. She won 23 out of 25 games in 2007. Her most important win was at the 12-and-under Junior Orange Bowl. At 13, Madison started playing in older ITF events for players 18 and under.

In January 2009, she won the Copa del Café in Costa Rica. This was a big tournament. She was the first American girl to win it in 26 years. Her coach, John Evert, said at the time, "She's got weapons at a very young age." He added that Madison could hit her serve and forehand as hard as many top pro players.

As a 15-year-old, Madison played mostly in professional events. She won both singles and doubles titles at the Pan American Closed ITF Championships. This is the highest level of junior regional tournament. After the 2011 US Open, Madison started playing full-time on the professional tour. She was ranked No. 16 in junior tennis. At this age, she was already 5'10" tall. She could serve at 115 mph and hit strong winners.

Becoming a Pro at 14

Madison with her trophy after winning the 2011 US Open Wildcard Playoff.

Madison turned professional in February 2009, on her 14th birthday. A few months later, she made her first appearance on the WTA Tour. This was at the Ponte Vedra Beach Championships. She beat world No. 81, Alla Kudryavtseva, in two sets. At 14 years and 48 days old, she became the seventh-youngest player ever to win a WTA Tour match. She was the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1994.

Because of age rules, she couldn't play another WTA tournament that year. But Madison found another way to play top pros. She joined the World TeamTennis league. At just 14, she beat Serena Williams in a set. Serena was ranked No. 2 in the world and had just won Wimbledon.

In her early years, Madison mostly played on the ITF Circuit. She won three singles titles and one doubles title there. In 2011, she got a special entry into the Miami Open. She lost in the first round. Later that year, Madison won a playoff to get a spot in the main draw of the US Open. She won her first Grand Slam match, becoming the youngest winner at the event in six years. She was 16.

Breaking into the Top 50

Madison started 2013 ranked No. 149. She began playing only tour-level events. At the Sydney International, she reached her first WTA quarterfinal. She beat Lucie Šafářová and Zheng Jie. For the second year, Madison won the Australian Open Wildcard Playoff. At the Australian Open, she reached the third round. She then lost to No. 5, Angelique Kerber. This success helped her enter the top 100 WTA rankings at No. 81. She did this a month before turning 18.

During the clay-court season, Madison reached another quarterfinal at the Charleston Open. She lost to Venus Williams, one of her childhood heroes. At the Madrid Open, she beat world No. 6 Li Na. This was her first win against a top 10 player. She reached the second round in her French Open debut. At Wimbledon, she made it to the third round again. This helped her break into the top 50.

Madison finished her season at the Japan Women's Open. She reached her first WTA Tour semifinal there. She lost to the eventual champion, Samantha Stosur. After a successful year, Madison finished 2013 ranked No. 37. This was more than 100 spots higher than she started.

First Career Title and Top 10 Debut

Madison at the 2014 Italian Open.

In 2014, Madison reached her first Premier semifinal at the Sydney International. She beat No. 11, Simona Halep, before losing to No. 9, Angelique Kerber. She made her Fed Cup debut in February.

Madison won her first career title at the Eastbourne International on grass. This was a Premier-level tournament. She beat two top-ten players: No. 7 Jelena Janković and No. 9 Kerber in the final. This was her only win against Kerber. During the final, she hit a 126 mph serve. This would have been one of the fastest ever in women's tennis. At 19, Madison was the youngest American to win a title since 2006. She was also the first teenage winner since 2009. She reached the third round at Wimbledon but had to stop due to a leg injury.

Madison finished 2014 ranked No. 31.

In 2015, Madison started working with former world No. 1, Lindsay Davenport. With her new coaches, Madison had a big breakthrough at the Australian Open. She beat the Wimbledon champion and No. 4, Petra Kvitová. In the quarterfinals, she faced Venus Williams again. Madison beat Venus for the first time in a tough three-set match. She even had a thigh injury during the match. This led to a match against world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. Madison lost, but Serena praised her. Serena said Madison would be No. 1 in the future. With this first major semifinal, Madison entered the top 20.

She reached the final at the Charleston Open on clay. She lost to Angelique Kerber. Madison then reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. At the US Open, she reached the fourth round, losing to Serena Williams again.

Reaching World No. 7 and WTA Finals

Madison and Serena Williams at the 2016 Italian Open trophy presentation.

Madison started 2016 ranked No. 18. She reached the fourth round at the Australian Open. She then reached her first quarterfinal at a big Premier Mandatory event in Miami.

During the clay-court season, Madison hired Thomas Högstedt as her coach. This new partnership quickly worked well. Madison reached the final at the Italian Open. This was her biggest final yet. She beat two top-ten players, No. 9 Petra Kvitová and No. 4 Garbiñe Muguruza. She lost in the final to Serena Williams. At the French Open, Madison reached the fourth round.

She had a great grass-court season. She won her second career title at the Birmingham Classic. With this win, she entered the top ten for the first time at age 21. She was the first American woman to do this since Serena Williams in 1999. Madison reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. She then reached her second big final in Montreal, losing to Simona Halep. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Madison reached the semifinals. She lost the bronze medal match, just missing a medal.

At the US Open, Madison reached the fourth round. She made an amazing comeback against Naomi Osaka. She was down 5–1 in the third set but won. Madison qualified for the 2016 WTA Finals in Singapore. She won one match but did not move past the group stage. Madison finished 2016 ranked No. 8. She was the first American other than the Williams sisters to finish a year in the top 10 since 2005.

US Open Finalist and Return to Top 10

Madison at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships.

Before 2017, Madison had surgery on her left wrist. She had hurt it at the 2015 US Open. She missed the Australian Open. Madison returned to play in March. She struggled for a while and had a second wrist surgery after the French Open. By August, her ranking had dropped out of the top 20.

Despite this, Madison won the Stanford Classic in August. She beat Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza and her friend CoCo Vandeweghe. This was her third career title.

Madison played at the US Open. In the fourth round, she beat fourth seed Elina Svitolina. She joined fellow Americans CoCo Vandeweghe, Sloane Stephens, and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. All four won their matches. This meant all four semifinalists were American. This had not happened at a major since 1985. In the semifinals, Madison beat Vandeweghe easily. She then faced Sloane Stephens in the final. Madison lost to her close friend in two sets.

In 2018, Madison reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She lost to Angelique Kerber. At the French Open, Madison had her best result there. She reached the semifinals without losing a set. She faced Sloane Stephens again, losing in two sets. She reached the third round at Wimbledon.

Madison struggled with injuries later in 2018. She reached the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Open. She beat Angelique Kerber, ending a five-match losing streak against her. At the US Open, Madison reached the semifinals. She lost to the eventual champion Naomi Osaka. Madison finished 2018 ranked No. 17.

Winning on Clay and Premier 5 Titles

Madison started 2019 at the Australian Open. She lost in the fourth round. She then bounced back in the clay-court season. With her former coach Juan Todero, she won her first WTA Tour clay-court title. This was at the Charleston Open. She beat Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki. She had never won a set against either of them before. She reached the quarterfinals of the French Open.

In August, Madison won the Cincinnati Open. This was her first Premier 5 title and her fifth career title. She beat No. 4 Simona Halep and Venus Williams. She also beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. This win brought Madison back into the top 10. She reached the fourth round of the US Open. Madison finished 2019 ranked No. 13. This was her fifth year in a row in the top 20.

Recent Seasons and Major Success

Madison started 2020 by reaching the final at the Brisbane International. She beat former Grand Slam champions Samantha Stosur and Petra Kvitová. She lost a close match in the final. At the Australian Open, she reached the third round.

In 2021, Madison reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. She also made her mixed doubles debut at the US Open with her boyfriend, Bjorn Fratangelo.

In 2022, Madison won her sixth title at the 2022 Adelaide International 2. She beat Alison Riske in the final. Unseeded at the Australian Open, she reached the semifinals for the second time. She beat Sofia Kenin, Paula Badosa, and Barbora Krejčíková. She lost to world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. This brought her back into the top 30.

At the French Open, she reached the fourth round in singles. In doubles, she reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. This was with Taylor Townsend. At the Cincinnati Open, she reached the quarterfinals. She beat top seed Iga Świątek, her first win against a world No. 1. She then beat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Madison finished 2022 ranked No. 11.

In 2023, Madison played for Team USA at the United Cup. She won all five of her matches. This helped her return to world No. 10. At the Eastbourne International, she won her seventh title. She beat Daria Kasatkina in the final. She then reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Madison reached her third Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open. She beat top 10 players Jessica Pegula and Marketa Vondrousova. She lost a close semifinal match to Aryna Sabalenka. Madison finished 2023 ranked No. 12.

In 2024, Madison reached her second WTA 1000 clay semifinal at the Madrid Open. She beat Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur. She won her eighth title at Strasbourg. She beat Danielle Collins in the final.

2025: Australian Open Champion

Madison won the Adelaide International. She beat top seed Jessica Pegula in the final. This was her ninth WTA Tour singles title.

At the Australian Open, she reached the final for the first time. She beat Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, and Iga Świątek. This brought her back into the top 10. In the semifinals, Madison upset world No. 2 Iga Świątek. She came back from a set down and a match point down. In the final, Madison beat world No. 1 Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. She won her first major title and returned to her career-high ranking of world No. 7.

Madison was the first player to win a major after beating both the world No. 1 and No. 2 at the Australian Open since Serena Williams in 2005. She also beat two other top-10 players. This made her only the fourth woman to beat four top-10 opponents on the way to a major title. At 29, she became the oldest first-time women's Australian Open champion. She also had the longest time between her first two major finals in the Open Era.

After her Australian Open win, Madison continued her winning streak. She reached the semifinals at Indian Wells. She lost to Aryna Sabalenka.

Key Rivalries

Playing the Williams Sisters

Madison looked up to Venus Williams and Serena Williams when she was a child. Many people have called her a possible future leader of American women's tennis. Madison never beat Serena in three tries. But she has a 3–2 record against Venus.

Madison first played Venus in 2013. Venus won a close match. Their next game was at the 2015 Australian Open. Madison won in three sets, even with an injury. Venus won their next match later that year. Madison has won their two most recent matches.

Madison's first match against Serena was after her first win over Venus. Serena won their semifinal match at the 2015 Australian Open. But Serena praised Madison highly. Serena said Madison would be No. 1 in the future. Serena also beat Madison at the US Open. Their most recent match was in the final of the Italian Open. Serena won in two sets.

Friends and Rivals: Stephens and Vandeweghe

Madison is very close friends with Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe. This creates a friendly rivalry among them. They are also seen as leaders of the next generation of American tennis. All three have been ranked in the top 10. Madison has a 2–4 record against Stephens. But she has a 3–0 record against Vandeweghe.

Madison has found it tough to play against Stephens. She often makes more errors than usual. This is because Stephens can handle Madison's powerful shots. They first played in 2015. Stephens won. They met again in the 2017 US Open final. Both wanted their first Grand Slam title. Stephens beat Madison in two sets. Their next match was in the semifinals of the 2018 French Open. Stephens won again. Madison finally beat Stephens in 2019 at the 2019 Volvo Car Open. She won in three sets on her way to her first clay-court title.

Madison and Vandeweghe have similar playing styles. Both are tall and hit powerful serves and shots. They first played in 2017. Madison won the final at the Stanford Classic. She won her third career title. They played again two weeks later. Madison won in three sets. They met in the semifinals of the US Open. Madison easily beat Vandeweghe in two sets.

Battles with Kerber and Halep

Madison has played Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep often. Both Kerber and Halep are good at defending and using their opponent's power. Because of this, Madison has a tough record against them. She is 2–8 against Kerber and 2–5 against Halep. Many of these matches were in important tournaments.

Madison's first win over Kerber was in the final of the 2014 Eastbourne International. This gave Madison her first WTA title. Since then, Madison has lost to Kerber in several big matches. These include the 2015 Charleston Open final and the 2016 Rio Olympics semifinals. Madison ended her five-match losing streak against Kerber in 2018.

Madison won her first match against Halep in 2014. After that, she lost her next five matches against Halep. This included the final of the Canadian Open. Madison ended her losing streak against Halep in 2019. She won in three sets on her way to winning her first Premier 5 title.

Facing Muguruza and Osaka

Madison has a better record against hard-hitting players like Garbiñe Muguruza and Naomi Osaka. She is 4–1 against Muguruza and 3–1 against Osaka. Both Muguruza and Osaka have won multiple Grand Slams. But they have often struggled against Madison's powerful shots.

Madison and Muguruza have played many close matches. Madison won their most important match in the semifinals of the 2016 Italian Open. She also won a semifinal match in 2017. Muguruza won their next match in 2017. Two years later, Madison won another tough three-set match against Muguruza. She then went on to win the title.

Madison's first match against Osaka was at the 2016 US Open. Osaka was a teenager, and Madison was more experienced. Madison was down 1–5 in the third set but came back to win. Madison won their next two matches easily. Osaka's first win came in their most important match. This was the semifinal of the 2018 US Open. Osaka won convincingly.

Playing Style

Madison serving.

Madison describes her game as having a "pretty good serve and a pretty good forehand." She says people notice how hard she can hit the ball. Madison has been 5'10" tall since she was 14. This helped her play in professional events early. She uses her height to hit big serves and powerful shots. Her junior coach, Chris Evert, compared her power to Serena Williams. She said Madison's serve was almost as powerful as Serena's. Madison is especially known for her strong forehand. Former world No. 1 Karolína Plíšková and Sloane Stephens both say Madison has the best forehand in the game.

Madison is an aggressive baseliner. This means she plays mostly from the back of the court. She doesn't come to the net very often. Instead, she uses her power to hit winners. Her biggest challenge is sometimes controlling her power. She can make too many errors when trying to hit winners.

Madison getting ready to hit a backhand.

Madison prefers playing on hardcourts. She won her first major title and Premier 5 title on this surface. But she has done well on all three main court types. Three of her ten titles are on grass courts. Clay is her least favorite surface. It is usually too slow for players who hit with a lot of power. Still, she has won one title on clay. She also reached a Premier 5 final and a French Open semifinal on clay.

Madison uses her strong serve to win her service games. In 2016, she was third in points won on serve. She was also third in aces, hitting 300. Madison could serve over 100 mph when she was 14. She was clocked at 126 mph when she won her first WTA title in 2014. The WTA has recorded her serving at 124 mph at the US Open.

Madison has hit shots as fast as top men's players. At the 2014 French Open, her average groundstroke speed was 78.9 mph. This was faster than Novak Djokovic's average. Her forehands were faster than Lleyton Hewitt's. Her backhands were faster than Bernard Tomic's.

Coaches and Support Team

When Madison was at the Evert Tennis Academy, John Evert was her main coach. She also worked with his sister, Chris Evert. In 2011, Madison changed coaches to Adam Peterson. He also coached Lindsay Davenport, who would later coach Madison. Madison also worked with other coaches who helped her reach the top 50.

Before 2015, Lindsay Davenport and her husband Jon Leach joined Madison's team. Madison also worked with doubles player Lisa Raymond. After a great season, Madison looked for a full-time coach. In 2016, she hired Jesse Levine. She also worked briefly with Mats Wilander. Later, she hired Thomas Högstedt. This partnership led to a fantastic second half of 2016. But they split after the season.

Madison reunited with Davenport in 2017. She also worked with Dieter Kindlmann. Davenport helped Madison win her third title and reach her first major final at the US Open. Madison later played without a main coach for some time. In 2019, she went back to her former coach Juan Todero. She won her first clay court title with him.

Since January 2022, she was coached by Georgi Rumenov Payakov. As of June 2023, her fiancé (now husband) and former tennis player Bjorn Fratangelo became her coach.

Sponsors and Partnerships

Madison has been sponsored by Nike since she was 14. They provide her with clothes and shoes. Wilson was her racket sponsor until 2024. She helped launch their Ultra line of rackets. For the 2025 Australian Open, she changed to a Yonex Ezone racket. She won her first Grand Slam title with it.

Madison is the first American ambassador for the French water company, Evian. She has also partnered with the contact lens brand Acuvue. She has also supported Orangetheory Fitness.

Personal Life and Interests

Madison looks up to Roger Federer for his class and positive attitude. Venus and Serena Williams were also her favorite players growing up. She admired Serena for her efforts to close the prize money gap in tennis. She was also a big fan of her future coach Lindsay Davenport and Kim Clijsters.

Madison is very close friends with Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe. She hugged Stephens after losing the 2017 US Open final. She jumped into Vandeweghe's lap after beating her in the 2017 Stanford Classic final.

Madison is biracial. Her mother is white, and her father is African American. She has said, "I don't really identify myself as white or African American. I'm just me. I'm Madison."

Madison is an ambassador for Fearlessly Girl. This group fights bullying and cyber-bullying, especially for high school girls. She co-hosted the first summit for the group in her hometown in 2016.

In February 2020, Madison relaunched Fearlessly Girl as a new nonprofit called Kindness Wins. Its goal is to be a platform for kindness. It focuses on kindness to oneself, to young people, and to others in tough times. Kindness Wins works with other groups and gives grants to people making the world better.

In November 2024, she married Bjorn Fratangelo. He is a former ATP player whom she had been dating since 2017.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance in Singles

Madison has played in many Grand Slam tournaments. Here's how she has done in singles:

Grand Slam Performance in Doubles

Here's how Madison has done in Grand Slam doubles matches:

Note: Madison received a walkover in the second round of the 2014 French Open. This does not officially count as a win.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 2 (1 Title, 1 Runner-up)

Madison has reached two Grand Slam singles finals:

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2017	US Open	Hard	Sloane Stephens	3–6, 0–6
Win	2025	Australian Open	Hard	Aryna Sabalenka	6–3, 2–6, 7–5

See also

In Spanish: Madison Keys para niños