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	Bjorn Fratangelo (2023–)
Prize money	US$22,420,172 21st in all-time rankings
Singles
Career record	414–228 (64.49%)
Career titles	10
Highest ranking	No. 5 (February 24, 2025)
Current ranking	No. 8 (June 30, 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	29–39 (42.65%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 56 (October 24, 2022)
Current ranking	No. 533 (June 23, 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 women's singles by the WTA. Madison has won ten singles titles on the WTA Tour. This includes a big win at the 2025 Australian Open. She beat two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final. She also reached the final 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 became one of the youngest players to win a WTA Tour match. In 2013, at age 17, she entered the top 100 players. Her first major breakthrough was in 2015. As a teenager, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.

In 2016, Madison joined the top 10 players in the WTA rankings. She was the first American woman to do this since Serena Williams 17 years earlier. In 2017, she reached the US Open final, but lost to her friend Sloane Stephens. After dealing with injuries, 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 strong playing style has made her a leader in American tennis. She plays alongside other great players like Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin. She has done well on all types of courts. She 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 father 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 loved tennis from a young age. She became interested after watching Wimbledon on TV when she was four. She asked her parents for a white tennis dress like Venus Williams wore. They told her she could have one if she started playing tennis. Her father said she then just wanted to hit balls "into the next yard."

Madison started playing at the Quad-City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois. She began taking lessons at seven and playing in tournaments at nine. 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. Chris Evert said that Madison was "an all-court player" at 12, which was rare.

Junior Tennis Career

When Madison was 12, she had a great record of 23 wins and 2 losses in her matches. She won the 12-and-under Junior Orange Bowl. At 13, she started playing in bigger ITF events for players 18 and under. In 2009, she won the Copa del Café in Costa Rica. She was the first American girl to win this tournament in 26 years. Her coach, John Evert, said she had "weapons at a very young age." He meant her serve and forehand were already very powerful.

As a 15-year-old, Madison played mostly in professional tournaments. She won both singles and doubles titles at the Pan American Closed ITF Championships. After the 2011 US Open, Madison started playing full-time on the professional tour. She was ranked No. 16 in junior tennis at the time. She was already 5' 10" tall and could serve at 115 mph.

Professional Career Highlights

Starting Out: WTA Win at 14

Keys holding the trophy after winning the 2011 US Open Wildcard Playoff

Madison became a professional tennis player on her 14th birthday in February 2009. She played her first WTA Tour match a few months later. She beat world No. 81, Alla Kudryavtseva. At 14 years and 48 days old, she was 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 could not play in another WTA tournament that year. But she played in 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.

Madison mostly played on the ITF Circuit in her early years. 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, she won a playoff to enter the main draw of the US Open. She won her first Grand Slam match, becoming the youngest winner at the event in six years.

Breaking into the Top 50 in 2013

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. She then reached the third round of the 2013 Australian Open. She beat No. 30 Tamira Paszek before losing to No. 5, Angelique Kerber. After this, she entered the top 100 at No. 81.

In the clay-court season, she 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 reached the third round again. This helped her break into the top 50.

Madison finished 2013 ranked No. 37. This was a big jump from the start of the year.

First Career Title in 2014

Keys at the 2014 Italian Open

In 2014, Madison reached her first Premier semifinal at the Sydney International. She beat No. 11, Simona Halep. She then played in the 2014 Australian Open, but lost in the second round. In February, she played for the Fed Cup team for the first time.

Madison won her first career title at the Eastbourne International. This was a Premier-level tournament on grass. She beat two top-ten players: No. 7 Jelena Janković and No. 9 Angelique Kerber in the final. She served at 126 mph in the final. This win made her the youngest American to win a title since 2006. She reached the third round at Wimbledon but had to stop playing due to a leg injury.

She finished 2014 ranked No. 31.

Major Breakthroughs and Top 10 Debut

Keys at the 2015 Italian Open

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 reigning Wimbledon champion and No. 4, Petra Kvitová. In the quarterfinals, she faced Venus Williams again. She won in three tough sets, even with a thigh injury. This led to a match against world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. Madison lost, but Serena said Madison would be "No. 1 in the future." This success put Madison in the top 20 for the first time.

She reached the final at the Charleston Open on clay. She also made it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. At the US Open, she reached the fourth round, losing to Serena Williams again.

In 2016, Madison reached the fourth round at the Australian Open. She then made her first quarterfinal at a big Premier Mandatory event in Miami. She hired Thomas Högstedt as her coach. This partnership quickly led to success. She reached the final at the Italian Open, her biggest final yet. She beat two top-ten players, Petra Kvitová and Garbiñe Muguruza. She lost in the final to Serena Williams.

Madison won her second career title at the Birmingham Classic on grass. This win moved her into the top ten for the first time at age 21. She was the first American woman to do so since Serena Williams in 1999. At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round. She then reached another big final at the Canadian Open.

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Madison reached the semifinals. She lost to Angelique Kerber and then to Petra Kvitová, finishing in fourth place. At the US Open, she reached the fourth round after a great comeback against Naomi Osaka. She qualified for the 2016 WTA Finals for the first time. She finished 2016 ranked No. 8 in the world.

US Open Finalist in 2017

Keys at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships

Before 2017, Madison had surgery on her left wrist. She missed the Australian Open. She returned in March but struggled for a while. She had a second wrist surgery after the French Open.

Madison started winning matches again at the Stanford Classic in August. She won the tournament, her third career title. She beat Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza and her friend CoCo Vandeweghe.

At the US Open, Madison had a fantastic run. She beat fourth seed Elina Svitolina to reach the quarterfinals. She joined fellow Americans CoCo Vandeweghe, Sloane Stephens, and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. All four won, setting up all-American semifinals. This was the first time four Americans reached a major semifinal since 1985. Madison beat Vandeweghe easily in her semifinal. She then faced Sloane Stephens in the final. Madison lost to her close friend in straight sets.

Major Semifinals in 2018

Keys at the 2018 French Open

In 2018, Madison reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 Australian Open for the second time. She lost to Angelique Kerber. She then helped the US team reach the Fed Cup final.

At the 2018 French Open, Madison had her best result there. She reached the semifinals without losing a set. She faced Sloane Stephens again in a rematch of the 2017 US Open final. Madison lost to Stephens again. She reached the third round at Wimbledon.

Madison struggled with injuries and no main coach later in the year. At the US Open, she reached the semifinals again. But she lost to the eventual champion Naomi Osaka. She finished 2018 ranked No. 17.

First Clay Title and Premier 5 Title in 2019

Madison lost in the fourth round of the 2019 Australian Open. She then returned to her former coach, Juan Todero. She won her first career clay-court title at the Charleston Open. She beat Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki in that tournament. She reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 French Open, losing to the eventual champion, Ashleigh Barty.

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, Venus Williams, and Svetlana Kuznetsova. This win brought her back into the top 10. She reached the fourth round of the US Open. She finished 2019 ranked No. 13.

2020: Brisbane Final

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

The tennis tour was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it restarted, Madison played at the Cincinnati Open. She was the defending champion but lost her first match. At the US Open, she was seeded seventh. She won her first two matches easily. But she had to stop playing in the third round due to a neck injury. She lost in the first round of the French Open. She finished 2020 ranked No. 16.

2021: Out of Top 50

In 2021, Madison reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. She also played mixed doubles at the US Open with Bjorn Fratangelo, whom she was dating.

2022: Sixth Title and Major Semifinal

Madison won her first title since 2019 at the 2022 Adelaide International 2. She beat Alison Riske in the final. At the 2022 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 and eventual champion, Ashleigh Barty. This success brought her back into the top 30.

She reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. At the 2022 French Open, she reached the fourth round in singles. She also reached the semifinals in doubles with Taylor Townsend. This put her back in the top 25 in singles and top 100 in doubles.

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 Elena Rybakina to reach her ninth WTA 1000 semifinal. She finished 2022 ranked No. 11.

2023: United Cup Champion and Top 10 Return

Madison played for Team USA at the first United Cup. She won all five of her matches, helping her team win the title. This success brought her back to world No. 10. At the 2023 Australian Open, she lost in the third round. She reached the quarterfinals at Dubai.

She reached the quarterfinals in Charleston. In Rome, she reached the fourth round. After the French Open, her fiancé, Bjorn Fratangelo, became her coach.

At the 2023 Eastbourne International, she reached the final and won her seventh title. She beat Daria Kasatkina. She continued her good form at Wimbledon, reaching the quarterfinals.

She reached her third major semifinal at the US Open. She beat top 10 players Jessica Pegula and Marketa Vondrousova. She was up 6-0 and a break against Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal, but lost in three sets. Madison finished 2023 ranked No. 12.

2024: More Titles and Injuries

After an early season injury, Madison reached the fourth round at the 2024 Miami Open. At the Madrid Open, she reached her second WTA 1000 clay semifinal. She beat Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur. She won her eighth title at Strasbourg without losing a set. She lost in the third round of the 2024 French Open.

At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round but had to stop playing due to an injury. She did not play in the Olympics. She lost in the third round of the US Open. She ended 2024 ranked No. 21.

2025: Australian Open Champion

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

At the Australian Open, she had an amazing run. She beat Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, and Iga Świątek to reach the final. This brought her back into the top 10. In the semifinals, she upset world No. 2 Iga Świątek, coming back from a set down and a match point down. In the final, Madison defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win her first major title! She returned to her career-high ranking of world No. 7.

Madison was the first player since Serena Williams in 2005 to win the Australian Open after beating both the world No. 1 and world No. 2. She also beat two other top-10 players. At 29, she became the oldest first-time women's Australian Open champion.

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

Playing Style

Keys serving

Madison describes her game as having a "pretty good serve and a pretty good forehand." People often notice how hard she can hit the ball. She is 5' 10" tall, which helps her hit powerful serves and groundstrokes. Her junior coach, Chris Evert, compared her serve power to Serena Williams's. Madison is especially known for her strong forehand. Other top players like Karolína Plíšková and Sloane Stephens have said Madison has the best forehand in the game.

Madison is an aggressive baseliner. This means she hits powerful shots from the back of the court to win points. She doesn't come to the net very often. Sometimes, her biggest challenge is controlling her power. She might hit too many errors when trying for winners.

Keys preparing to hit a backhand

Even though she prefers hardcourts, Madison has done well on all surfaces. She has won three titles on grass courts. Clay is usually her least favorite surface because it's slower. But she has won one title on clay and reached a major semifinal on clay.

Madison uses her strong serve to win her service games easily. In 2016, she was third in points won on serve. She also hit the third-most aces that year. She could serve over 100 mph at age 14. Her fastest recorded serve was 124 mph at the US Open.

Her groundstrokes are also incredibly fast. At the 2014 French Open, her average groundstroke speed was 78.9 mph. This was faster than any other player, including men like Novak Djokovic. Her forehands and backhands are among the fastest in women's tennis.

Coaches

When Madison was at the Evert Tennis Academy, John Evert was her main coach. She also worked with Chris Evert. Later, she worked with USTA coaches like Adam Peterson, Juan Todero, and Jay Gooding.

Before 2015, Lindsay Davenport and her husband Jon Leach joined Madison's team. She also worked with doubles legend Lisa Raymond. After a great 2015, Madison looked for a full-time coach. In 2016, she worked with Jesse Levine and briefly with Mats Wilander. She then hired Thomas Högstedt, which led to a very successful year.

Madison reunited with Davenport in 2017. She also worked with Dieter Kindlmann. Davenport helped Madison win a title and reach her first major final at the US Open. Madison later worked with David Taylor and Jim Madrigal. In 2019, she went back to her former coach Juan Todero.

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

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 used the Wilson Ultra Tour racket.

For the 2025 Australian Open, she switched to a Yonex Ezone racket. She won her first major 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 and Orangetheory Fitness.

Personal Life

Keys at a Fearlessly Girl summit

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

Madison is very close friends with Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe. She hugged Sloane after losing the 2017 US Open final. She jumped into CoCo'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 works to stop bullying and cyber-bullying, especially for high school girls. In 2016, she co-hosted a summit for the group in her hometown.

In February 2020, Madison started a new nonprofit organization called Kindness Wins. Its goal is to promote kindness, especially to oneself, to young people, and to others who are struggling.

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

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance Timelines

Singles

Doubles

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

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

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

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