“Haven’t Gotten That Far,” Madison Keys Vehemently Backs Tennis Mothers as She Chalks Up a Plan for Her Future

The inspiring return of tennis mothers post-maternity leave showcases remarkable resilience. Serena Williams exemplified this by reaching consecutive Wimbledon and US Open finals shortly after childbirth, a powerful display of her enduring drive. Victoria Azarenka not only reclaimed her top ranking but also became a vocal advocate, stating, “It shouldn’t be a penalty if you want to have a family.” More recently, Belinda Bencic triumphed in Abu Dhabi, and Naomi Osaka made a strong comeback, reaching the Auckland final and clinching the Saint-Malo title. These are just a few names of the tennis moms who conquered all! These athletes demonstrate remarkable strength. And Madison Keys is all for it!

Ahead of her Italian Open campaign, the No. 6 player shared her admiration for the recent wave of strong comebacks by players returning from maternity leave. “I think it’s amazing that there’s so many moms on tour,” she said. “It really shows how resilient women are. The support from the tour is incredible-there are so many opportunities for women to start a family and still come back to the sport.” It’s definitely something to be proud of!

The WTA has been stepping up too. In March, alongside their rebrand, they launched the first-ever paid maternity leave for pro tennis players, thanks to a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). This program offers up to 12 months of paid leave to over 320 eligible players, plus grants for fertility treatments like IVF and egg freezing.

It’s a huge move forward for tennis moms. As for Keys, she’s not sure if she’ll make use of it just yet. “I haven’t gotten that far yet, we’ll see one day and then I’ll have a better answer for you,” she added with a smile.

Madison Keys and Bjorn Fratangelo tied the knot on November 25, 2024, in a heartfelt Charleston celebration with tennis stars like Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens. They first met in 2006 training in Boca Raton and later lived in the same Orlando apartment complex. Their friendship turned romantic in 2017, leading to an engagement in March 2023. Keys called their wedding “the best weekend of my life,” while Fratangelo said it was “amazing” and he’s excited to spend forever with her.

Bjorn began coaching Madison a year before their wedding, and she’s loving having her husband by her side. “I’ve obviously really enjoyed Bjorn being my coach the past couple of years. It definitely wasn’t something we were planning but it’s nice to actually see your husband every day. So that’s a bonus,” Keys said. His support helped her achieve a 23-5 record this season, including her first Grand Slam win at the Australian Open after 16 years.

Their relationship has deep roots-they met young, trained together, and quarantined during COVID-19 in 2020, which brought them closer. They even played mixed doubles at the 2021 US Open. Despite their long history, Keys says it’s hard to give advice on love like theirs since it grew naturally over many years. With just six months married and her career on the rise, starting a family isn’t her focus yet.

With two titles this season and a Grand Slam breakthrough, Keys is building momentum. Their story blends friendship, love, and tennis, showing how personal and professional lives can beautifully mix. As she puts it, having Bjorn as coach and husband is “definitely a bonus.”

However, since these two have been together for so long, it’s not as easy for Keys to share any advice to many who might be looking for love like theirs!

Madison struggles to share tips to find love in today’s time

At the Australian Open this year, Madison Keys joked, “If you need marital advice, just call me. Feel like I have gotten figured out so far.” But when a reporter asked her for relationship tips at the Madrid Open last month, she laughed loudly and admitted, “Advice for the singles? I don’t know. I’ve been with the same person for almost 10 years, so I really don’t know what it’s like out there anymore. But best of luck to all of you, it’ll be great. Just keep going.” That pretty much says it all.

Having her husband as her coach on tour has been a huge plus. “The best part of being coached by my husband is that we actually get to see each other,” Madison told Stan Sport’s Duncan McKenzie-McHarg on Grand Slam Daily. “When we started dating, he was also playing and we were not on the same schedule, so we would not spend a whole lot of time together. So it’s great that we actually get to spend time together.”

She also joked about their coaching dynamic: “The not so great part is having to tell him that he was right a lot of the time, not super fun!” Seems like they know how to keep things lighthearted!

Now, after a strong quarterfinal run at the Madrid Open, Keys is now gearing up for the Italian Open. On Thursday, she’ll face Varvara Gracheva in the first round! With her momentum building, will Keys make a deep in this clay tournament?

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