"My husband was freaking out" - Madison Keys reveals how one 'weird' mishap almost jeopardized her first Grand Slam title win at Australian Open

Madison Keys revealed a bizarre incident of her shoes going missing ahead of the 2025 Australian Open final. While her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, and the locker room staff panicked, Keys remained the calmest person in the room.

In a newly released episode of The Player’s Box podcast hosted by Jennifer Brady, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, and Desirae Krawczyk, the WTA stars shared stories about losing their shoes.

Krawczyk recalled misplacing hers during the 2019 French Open and having to play in a size larger. The conversation then shifted to Keys, who revealed her own shoe mishap from the 2025 Australian Open final.

"AO, before my final, I was walking into the locker room and I was like, my shoes are gone. So I had to wear a brand new pair of shoes for the final," Madison Keys said (from 27:30).

She revealed that she was completely fine with wearing the new pair of shoes, but her husband, Bjorn, was freaking out.

"It was fine. But Bjorn was freaking out. He was like, 'You can't wear a new pair of shoes.' And I was like, 'Well, what do you want me to do?' It was weird. I was like very chill about it," she added.

Further, Keys said that the locker room staff was also freaking out, but she was the calmest person in the room. The calmness helped her on the court as well because she managed to defeat the World No. 1 and defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, to win her maiden Grand Slam title.

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"I was struggling when I asked him to help me out" - Madison Keys on appointing her husband Bjorn as her coach

Madison Keys being coached by her husband Bjorn at the French Open 2025 - Source: Getty

Madison Keys' fairy-tale moment at the 2025 Australian Open had an extra layer of sweetness as she achieved it with her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, by her side as coach. The pair married in November 2024, surrounded by fellow WTA stars like Jennifer Brady, Jessica Pegula, Sloane Stephens, and Taylor Townsend.

Less than six weeks later, Keys lifted her first Grand Slam trophy, defeating Aryna Sabalenka. She promptly ran into Fratangelo’s arms in an emotional on-court hug.

Keys recalled that her decision to bring Fratangelo on board in June 2023 was born out of struggle. In an interview with The Guardian in June 2025, she said:

"I was struggling when I asked him to help me out. At the time it was supposed to be short term but then we immediately had success. I think the biggest hurdle for him was being comfortable in telling me what to do."

Fratangelo, once a Top 100 player himself, has proven his worth as a coach. Keys praised his sharp instincts. She added that despite the challenges of mixing marriage with tennis, they’ve built boundaries.