Madison Keys

Madison Keys is an American tennis player who has been widely tipped to become World No. 1 some day. She is known for her big serve and groundstrokes, and is one of the most powerful players in the world today.

Keys has registered some monumental wins in her short career already, and is expected to carry the torch of American tennis forward when the Williams sisters retire.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: Semifinalist (2015)

French Open: Semifinalist (2018)

Wimbledon: Quarterfinalist (2015)

US Open: Runner-up (2017)

Highest Ranking: No. 7

Style of play

Keys is supremely aggressive at all times and relies on her natural power to take time away from her opponents. She uses her serve to set up her forehand and gain the ascendancy in the rallies, and also takes huge swings on her backhand.

Keys has started approaching the net more often in recent times, but is primarily a baseline player. She is not known for her finesse or soft hands, but can put away volleys effectively when she finds herself at the net. She also goes for big shots on the return of serve, which is why many consider her to be an all-out offensive player.

Strengths and weaknesses

Keys has an excellent first serve and a good second serve, and the pace she generates with both can take her opponents off guard. Her forehand is also an important weapon, as she hits it with considerable flat power.

While her forehand is considered among the best in the game, her backhand used to be a weakness early on in her career. But she has shored up that wing too, and is now capable of producing consistent winners off it.

Her return of serve is not the greatest, as her tendency to take big cuts at it can lead to a few unforced errors. Keys is also relatively slow around the court, and her defense can be exploited by a consistent player.

Her eagerness to finish points quickly can also lead to unforced errors at the wrong times, and a majority of the matches she loses come about because of her inability to control her power.

Personal life

Keys was born in Rock Island, Illinois, and first gained interest in tennis when she took a liking to Venus Williams' white dress at Wimbledon 1999. She is of mixed race, with her father Rick being African-American and mother Christine being white.

Keys moved to Florida at the age of 10 to train at the Evert Tennis Academy, and was occasionally coached by Chris Evert. In later years she worked with a multitude of coaches, including Lindsay Davenport, Adam Peterson, Mats Wilander, Thomas Hogstedt and Jesse Levine.

Keys is a rare talent in the sport and is touted to win multiple Slams once she fine-tunes her game, which explains why so much attention is devoted to her by the American media. But Keys has used that attention to good effect, garnering a strong fan base for herself through her girlish charm and down-to-earth attitude.

Keys is good friends with fellow American players Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe, and is expected to lead the American charge along with these two players once Venus and Serena Williams bid adieu to the game.

Social media presence:

Madison Keys Instagram: @madisonkeys

Madison Keys Twitter: @Madison_Keys