History of Madison Keys in Timeline
"Madison Keys is a highly accomplished American professional tennis player. Her career highlights include a career-high ranking of No. 7 globally, reaching the finals at the 2017 US Open, participating in the 2016 WTA Finals, and a semifinal appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Keys has clinched seven WTA Tour titles, with her most significant victory at the 2019 Cincinnati Open, a Premier 5 event."
1979: All-American Semifinals at the US Open
In 1979, four American women reached the semifinals of the US Open. This wouldn't happen again until 2017.
1985: All-American Semifinals at Wimbledon
The 1985 Wimbledon tournament marked the last time before 2017 that four American women reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament.
1994: Youngest WTA Tour-Level Match Winner Since Hingis
At the age of 14 years and 48 days in 1994, Keys became the 7th-youngest player ever to win a WTA tour-level match and the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1994.
February 17, 1995: Birth
Madison Keys was born on February 17, 1995.
1998: Davenport's US Open Victory
The last time an American woman other than Venus or Serena Williams won the US Open was Lindsay Davenport in 1998.
1999: First American Woman to Enter Top 10 Since Serena Williams
With her victory at the Birmingham Classic, Keys moved into the top ten for the first time in her career at the age of 21, becoming the first American woman to do so since Serena Williams in 1999.
2002: All-American Semifinal
The last time the semifinals of the French Open featured two American women was in 2002.
2005: Last All-American Final
The last time an American woman other than a Williams sister reached the finals of a Grand Slam tournament was Lindsay Davenport in 2005.
2006: Youngest American Titlist Since Vania King
Keys' maiden WTA title in 2006 made her the youngest American titlist since Vania King in 2006.
2007: Junior Orange Bowl Victory
When Keys was 12 years old in 2007, her most notable title was a victory at the 12-and-under Junior Orange Bowl.
2008: Wimbledon Final
In 2008, Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus in the Wimbledon final, marking the last time before 2015 that she had lost to an American in a final.
January 2009: Copa del Café Victory
In January 2009, Keys won the Copa del Café, a high-level Grade 1 tournament in Costa Rica, to become the first American winner of the girls' event in its 26-year history.
February 2009: Turns Pro
Madison Keys turned pro in February 2009 on her 14th birthday.
2009: First WTA Title
In 2009, Keys won her first WTA title at the Eastbourne International, a Premier-level tournament, making her the first teenage titlist since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009.
March 2011: Miami Open Debut
In March 2011, Keys made her debut at the Miami Open after being awarded a wild card.
2011: Coaching Change
After spending six years at the Evert Tennis Academy, Keys transitioned to a new coach, Adam Peterson, who was assigned to her by the USTA.
2011: Turns Pro, Focuses on ITF Pro Circuit
After the 2011 US Open, Keys moved to the pro tour full-time, opting to play on the ITF Pro Circuit instead of the ITF Junior Circuit.
2012: Australian Open Data Analysis (2012-2016)
Analysis of Australian Open data from 2012 to 2016 revealed that Keys possessed the second-fastest average forehand and backhand speeds among all players.
2012: Australian Open Debut
Keys made her Australian Open debut in 2012 after winning an invitational playoff but was unable to get past the first round.
2013: Top 100 Debut
Madison Keys first cracked the top 100 of the WTA rankings in 2013 at the age of 17.
2013: First WTA Quarterfinal, Enters Top 100
In 2013, Keys reached the quarterfinals of a WTA event for the first time at the Sydney International and entered the top 100 of the WTA rankings at No. 81 a month before turning 18.
2013: Charleston Open Quarterfinal
In 2013, at the Charleston Open, an 18-year-old Keys faced Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Venus won the closely contested match.
2014: French Open Groundstroke Speed
At the 2014 French Open, Keys recorded the fastest average groundstroke speed among all players, even surpassing Novak Djokovic's speed on the men's side.
2014: Early Exit from the US Open
Before her third-round retirement in 2020, Madison Keys had not had such an early exit from the US Open since 2014.
2014: French Open Walkover
In 2014, Madison Keys received a walkover in the second round of the French Open. This doesn't officially count as a win.
2014: Sydney International Victory
In their first encounter at the 2014 Sydney International, Keys dominated Simona Halep, winning convincingly.
2014: First WTA Title
Keys achieved a career milestone in 2014 by winning her first WTA title, showcasing her powerful serve, which was unofficially clocked at over 100 mph.
2014: Eastbourne International Final
Keys secured her first-ever WTA title by defeating Angelique Kerber in the final of the 2014 Eastbourne International. This victory marked a significant milestone in Keys' career.
2015: Australian Open Victory and WTA Elite Trophy Loss
Keys secured her first victory over Venus Williams in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Australian Open. Despite battling a lower back injury during the match, she won in three sets. However, Venus evened the score later that year at the WTA Elite Trophy, defeating Keys on her way to claiming the title.
2015: Fast Serve
Keys' serve was recorded at 124 mph at the 2015 US Open, ranking as the fifth-fastest serve that year.
2015: Miami Open First Round
Keys' first encounter with Sloane Stephens took place in the first round of the 2015 Miami Open, where Stephens emerged victorious in straight sets.
2015: Charleston Open Final
Keys aimed for another title at the 2015 Charleston Open but fell short in the final against Kerber.
2015: New Coaching Team
Keys began working with Lindsay Davenport and Jon Leach as her coaches, as well as doubles specialist Lisa Raymond, but parted ways with them at the end of the year.
2015: Australian Open Semifinal
In early 2015, Keys had her first breakthrough at a major when she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open as a teenager.
2015: Australian Open Semifinal and US Open Encounter
Following her victory over Venus at the 2015 Australian Open, Keys faced Serena Williams in the semifinals. Serena ended Keys' run but acknowledged her opponent's talent. Later that year, Serena defeated Keys again at the US Open.
2015: Wrist Injury
During the 2015 US Open, Madison Keys sustained a wrist injury that would later require surgery.
October 2016: Achieves Career High Ranking
On October 2016, Madison Keys achieved her career high ranking of world No. 7 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).
2016: Top 10 Debut
In 2016, Madison Keys debuted in the top 10 of the WTA rankings, the first American woman to do so since Serena Williams 17 years prior.
2016: Dominant Serve
Keys' strong serve was on display in 2016, as she ranked third in percentage of points won on serve and third in total aces.
2016: Coaching Changes and Breakthrough
Keys worked with Jesse Levine and briefly with Mats Wilander before hiring Thomas Högstedt, who guided her to her debut at the WTA Finals.
2016: Rio Olympics Semifinal
Keys and Kerber met again in a high-stakes match at the 2016 Rio Olympics semifinals. A victory would have secured Keys a medal, but she lost to Kerber and ultimately finished in fourth place.
2016: WTA Finals Round Robin
In the 2016 WTA Finals, Keys faced Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep, both former world No. 1 players, in the round-robin stage. Despite her powerful game, she struggled against their counter-punching styles and lost both matches, preventing her from advancing to the semifinals.
2016: Canadian Open Victory
Keys' winning streak against Venus continued at the 2016 Canadian Open, where she emerged victorious in their encounter.
2016: Anti-Bullying Advocacy
In 2016, Madison Keys became an ambassador for Fearlessly Girl, an organization dedicated to combating bullying and cyberbullying, particularly among high school girls. She demonstrated her commitment by co-hosting the group's first summit with founder Kate Whitfield in her hometown of Rock Island.
2016: Wimbledon and Canadian Open Losses
Following her initial victory, Keys faced a series of losses against Halep, including the fourth round of Wimbledon and the final of the Canadian Open, both in 2016.
2016: Groundstroke Speed Comparison
Data analysis showed that Keys' fastest groundstrokes rivaled the speeds of top male players, with her forehand speed comparable to Lleyton Hewitt's and her backhand speed surpassing Bernard Tomic's.
2016: Italian Open Semifinals
In 2016, Keys won a significant match against Muguruza in straight sets at the semifinals of the Italian Open.
2016: US Open
In 2016, Keys defeated a young Naomi Osaka at the US Open, coming back from a 1-5 deficit in the third set.
2016: Italian Open Quarterfinalist
In 2016, Keys reached the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, marking her last appearance at that stage of the tournament.
2016: Surgery and Coaching Change
In 2016, Keys made the decision to delay surgery on her injured wrist in order to try and qualify for the WTA finals. She also started working with Lindsay Davenport as her primary coach again.
2017: BNP Paribas Open
Keys secured a straight-sets victory against Osaka at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open.
2017: Rematch at the French Open
The 2017 US Open final was a match between Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys. The pair met again in the semifinals of the 2018 French Open.
2017: US Open Final
The 2017 US Open final saw Keys and Stephens vying for their first Grand Slam singles title. Stephens defeated Keys in straight sets, including a dominant finish where she won the last eight games of the match.
2017: Notable Friendships and Sportsmanship
Madison Keys displayed notable sportsmanship and camaraderie with fellow players Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe in 2017. She shared a warm embrace with Stephens after losing to her in the US Open final and playfully jumped into Vandeweghe's lap after defeating her in the Stanford Classic final.
2017: Relationship with Bjorn Fratangelo
Madison Keys began dating fellow American tennis player Bjorn Fratangelo in 2017.
2017: Bank of the West Classic Semifinals and Cincinnati Open
Keys won her fastest match against Muguruza at the 2017 Bank of the West Classic semifinals, but lost to her at the Cincinnati Open after missing two match points.
2017: Wilson Ultra Racket Launch
Keys partnered with Wilson to launch their Ultra line of rackets, specifically using the Ultra Tour model.
2017: Reunion with Davenport and US Open Success
Keys reunited with Lindsay Davenport as her coach and also worked with Dieter Kindlmann. Despite early struggles, she reached her first major final at the US Open.
2017: Stanford Classic, Cincinnati Open, and US Open
Keys and Coco Vandeweghe, both known for their powerful playing styles, first met in the summer of 2017. Keys triumphed in their first encounter at the Stanford Classic final, winning in straight sets to secure her third career title. They faced off again in the very next tournament, the Cincinnati Open, where Keys emerged victorious in three sets. Their most significant meeting came in the semifinals of the US Open, with both players aiming for their first Grand Slam singles final. Keys dominated the match, winning in straight sets and only dropping three games.
2017: All-American US Open Final
In 2017, Keys and Sloane Stephens became the first American women other than the Williams sisters to contest a major singles final since 2005.
2017: Vandeweghe Debuts in Top 10
Compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe followed Keys with her own top ten debut in 2017.
2017: Power and Style
By 2017, Keys had developed a reputation for her powerful playing style, with Chris Evert comparing her serve to Serena Williams' and Sloane Stephens and Karolína Plíšková praising her forehand.
2017: US Open Final
In 2017, Keys contested a Major singles final at the US Open.
May 2018: Split with Kindlmann
Keys ended her coaching partnership with Dieter Kindlmann after working together for about a year.
June 2018: Return to the Top 10
Madison Keys won the Cincinnati Open in August 2019. This was her first Premier 5 title, and it also marked her return to the top 10 rankings since June 2018.
2018: French Open Semifinal
Keys and Stephens met again in the latter stages of a major at the 2018 French Open semifinals. Both players aimed to reach their second Grand Slam final, but Stephens once again emerged victorious in straight sets.
2018: French Open and US Open
Keys won against Osaka in straight sets at the 2018 French Open, but Osaka won their semifinal match at the US Open that year.
2018: Australian Open Quarterfinal and Cincinnati Open Third Round
Keys' struggles against Kerber continued with a loss in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Australian Open. However, she snapped a five-match losing streak against Kerber later that year with a hard-fought three-set victory in the third round of the Cincinnati Open.
2018: First Grand Slam Semifinal Since 2018
The 2022 Australian Open was the first time Keys reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam since the US Open in 2018.
2018: Brand Partnerships
In 2018, Madison Keys secured several brand partnerships. She became the first American ambassador for Evian, a French water company, joining Maria Sharapova as an endorser. She also partnered with contact lens brand Acuvue and Orangetheory Fitness, a company based in her long-time residence of Boca Raton.
2018: Stephens Debuts in Top 10
Compatriot Sloane Stephens followed Keys and Vandeweghe with her own top ten debut in 2018.
August 2019: First Title Since 2019
At the start of the 2022 season, Keys won the Adelaide International. This was her first title since August 2019.
August 2019: Return to Top 10
In August 2019, Keys achieved a significant milestone by returning to the top 10 of the WTA rankings.
2019: New Coaching Stint and Clay Court Title
After briefly working with other coaches, Keys reunited with her former coach Juan Todero and won her first clay court title with him.
2019: Charleston Open
In 2019, Keys won the Charleston Open on clay, marking her first title on that surface.
2019: Cincinnati Open Victory
Keys and Venus faced off once again at the 2019 Cincinnati Open, with Keys securing another victory.
2019: Cincinnati Open Victory
Keys ended her losing streak against Halep in the third round of the 2019 Cincinnati Open. This victory paved the way for her to win her first Premier 5 title.
2019: Volvo Car Open Quarterfinal
Keys finally secured her first victory over Stephens in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Volvo Car Open. She won in three sets en route to claiming her first clay-court title.
2019: First WTA 1000 Quarterfinal Since 2019
Keys reached the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells tournament in 2022, marking her best result at the tournament and her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2019.
2019: Cincinnati Open Victory
Madison Keys won her biggest title at the 2019 Cincinnati Open, a Premier 5 event.
February 2020: Launching Kindness Wins
In February 2020, Madison Keys expanded her advocacy work by relaunching Fearlessly Girl as a nonprofit organization called Kindness Wins. The organization focuses on promoting kindness to self, youth, and those facing difficulties. Kindness Wins aims to collaborate with similar organizations and provide support and grants to individuals making a positive impact.
2020: Victory Over Kenin
On her way to the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open, Keys defeated Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.
August 2021: Return to the Top 30
When Madison Keys reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, it bumped her ranking up inside the top 30 for the first time since August 2021.
2021: Missed Australian Open Due to COVID-19
Madison Keys was unable to participate in the 2021 Australian Open due to testing positive for COVID-19.
January 2022: Coached by Georgi Rumenov Payakov
In January 2022, Keys began working with Georgi Rumenov Payakov as her coach.
June 2022: Return to the Top 25
After her performance at the French Open, Keys returned to the top 25 in the rankings as of June 6, 2022.
2022: Australian Open Semifinal
At the 2022 Australian Open, Keys reached the semifinals, marking her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance since the tournament.
2022: Western & Southern Open
At the 2022 Western & Southern Open, Keys reached the quarterfinals, notably defeating top-seeded Iga Świątek in the third round. This victory was significant as it marked her first win against the reigning world No. 1 after five prior attempts. She continued her run by beating reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to secure her ninth career semifinal appearance at a WTA 1000 event. Her journey ended in the semifinals with a loss to Petra Kvitová.
2022: Adelaide International
Madison Keys won the Adelaide International tournament in 2022 after defeating Alison Riske in the final.
June 2023: Coached by Bjorn Fratangelo
As of June 2023, Keys is being coached by her fiance, Bjorn Fratangelo.
2023: Engagement
As of 2023, Madison Keys is engaged to fellow American tennis player Bjorn Fratangelo, whom she began dating in 2017.
2023: United Cup Champion and Australian Open
In 2023, Keys kicked off her season by representing Team USA in the inaugural United Cup. She triumphed in all five of her matches, defeating Marie Bouzková, Jule Niemeier, Katie Swan, Magda Linette, and Lucia Bronzetti on her way to clinching the title. This victory propelled her back into the top 10, marking her first time reaching this ranking since August 2019. At the Australian Open, she entered as the No. 10 seed but faced a third-round exit against Victoria Azarenka.
2023: Charleston Open and Italian Open
In 2023, Keys participated in the Charleston Open, where she reached the quarterfinals after defeating eighth seed Magda Linette. However, her run was cut short by third seed Daria Kasatkina. At the Italian Open, she advanced to the fourth round following a walkover from Victoria Azarenka, having previously defeated Magdalena Fręch in the second round.
2023: US Open Semifinal
Keys continued her Grand Slam success at the 2023 US Open. She achieved another semifinal appearance, her first since the 2022 Australian Open, with notable victories over top-10 players Jessica Pegula and reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in consecutive matches.
2023: Eastbourne International and Wimbledon
The 2023 Eastbourne International saw Keys reach the final for the first time in nine years, defeating compatriot and fifth seed Coco Gauff along the way. This victory marked her 24th career win against a top-10 player. In the final, she secured her seventh career title by defeating ninth seed Daria Kasatkina, showcasing her resilience in a match featuring the second-longest tiebreak of the season. She continued her strong form at Wimbledon, advancing to the quarterfinals.
2024: Madrid Open and Italian Open
Keys had a successful clay-court season in 2024. At the Mutua Madrid Open, she reached her first semifinal at the tournament and her second WTA 1000 clay-court semifinal overall. Her victories included a remarkable comeback from 0-6, 0-2 down against Ons Jabeur, ultimately leading to her return to the top 20 rankings at No. 16. Continuing her strong form, she reached back-to-back quarterfinals at the Italian Open, a feat she last achieved in 2016.
2024: Miami Open
Keys reached the fourth round of the 2024 Miami Open for only the second time in her career. She secured victories over Diana Shnaider and Xinyu Wang, both in straight sets, demonstrating her strong performance in the tournament.