Madison Keys is gearing up for the French Open, her second Grand Slam outing of the year. As she prepares for the clay courts, her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, recently labelled clay her ‘best surface,’ and Keys has made her feelings known about his verdict.
Keys and Fratangelo have been together since 2017, having met each other while training in Florida. In 2023, the latter called time on his playing career and began coaching his wife that same year.
Recently, the 31-year-old told rolandgarros.com that clay was the best surface for Madison Keys. Responding to this, the Australian Open champion showed her agreement with her husband’s verdict, saying,
“He’s said it a few times, and I think I understand where he’s coming from. I definitely think that clay can help a lot of aspects of my game. I think the biggest thing is actually buying it and believing what he’s saying makes any sort of sense. But yeah, I think I feel pretty comfortable moving on it, and I think the little bit of extra time that it gives me kind of lets me set up for my forehead a little bit more. So I definitely think that he might be onto something.”
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Detailing why Keys would have an advantage on clay courts, Bjorn Fratangelo highlighted two reasons, mainly the World No. 7’s forehand and her hitting power.
“I think it gives her time to set up a little bit more, her forehand. She has a big swing; it takes time for her to produce the shot, and I think this surface gives her a little extra second to think and get set with her feet. And then also, you know her ball speed is so big that I think [despite] the slow conditions, she can still hit through them. I think she's gonna get a little bit extra on the ball, obviously with the new frame and stuff.”
Madison Keys shares glimpses of her time at the Italian Open
Madison Keys endured a lukewarm outing at the 2025 Italian Open. The American opened her campaign against Varvara Gracheva, clinching a 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory. Up next, she ran into compatriot Payton Streams, where she suffered a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3) defeat.
After the loss, Keys took to Instagram to share glimpses of her time in Rome, writing,
“Best spritzes on tour.”
Madison Keys will return to action at the French Open. Her best performance at the event was a semifinal finish in 2018.
