Madison Keys Proud Of Not Becoming An 'A***ole' Before Australian Open Triumph
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Madison Keys revealed she ignored pressure from others to not be so nice before her stunning 2025 Australian Open triumph.
Keys was tipped for Grand Slam success from an early age, which placed significant pressure on her. She recently revealed that addressing that issue in therapy significantly helped her.
The American is known as one of the nicest people in tennis and has promoted several initiatives promoting kindness. It might have been tempting her to abandon those principles after she had not won a Grand Slam for several years.
Instead, Keys stuck by her values and was rewarded at the Australian Open. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final to win her maiden Grand Slam and end the years of pressure from others.
In an episode of the Served with Andy Roddick Podcast, Keys said many others had told her she needed to be less nice to achieve more success. The 29-year-old is happy she never listened to those telling her that.
"Everyone always told me I would never be as good as I should be because I was too nice, and that always really pissed me off. I didn't think that you had to be an a**hole to win."
"I just really wanted to drive that point home and continue to stand on my morals and how I was raised while being at the top of the game."
The reaction to Keys' Australian Open triumph shows the esteem others hold her on the WTA Tour. It is hard to recall the last time so many other players congratulated another on being successful at a Grand Slam.
That means Keys' efforts to be kind and determination to stick by those principles have given her a deserved reputation as a terrific human being. After many tough losses in Grand Slams, seeing the American get her moment of glory was wonderful.
Keys also spoke again about going to therapy during her appearance on Roddick's podcast. She wants to help remove the stigma that still exists about getting help and needing help when things become difficult.
"There are so many athletes helping break the stigma around therapy in sports. For me, I want to continue talking about mental health in sports—showing that you don’t always have to be "tough" and that crying isn’t a sign of weakness."
It will be a while before fans see Keys in action again. She withdrew from the 2025 Qatar Open and 2025 Dubai Championships because of a leg injury. It is unclear whether she sustained that issue during the Australian Open.
Keys was also forced to withdraw from the 2025 ATX Open, which started in February, because of WTA rules about only one Top 10 player being allowed to enter WTA-250 tournaments. She re-entered the Top 10 after her success in Melbourne.
That means Keys' next scheduled appearance is not until the 2025 Indian Wells Open next month. However, she deserved a break after that stunning run at the Australian Open and has a chance to relax for a while.
