Madison Keys Advances to Australian Open Semifinals with Coach-Husband’s Support

MELBOURNE, Australia — Madison Keys, the No. 19 seed at the 2025 Australian Open, secured her spot in the semifinals on Wednesday after a hard-fought victory over Elina Svitolina. The win marks her third semifinal appearance at Melbourne Park, a testament to her resilience and the unique coaching dynamic with her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo.

Keys, 29, faced a pivotal moment during her fourth-round match against No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina on Monday. After winning the first set, Keys struggled in the second, prompting Fratangelo to deliver a blunt yet motivational message during the break. “If you lose this match playing the way you play, we go home and that’s it; 30 hours, we’re home,” he said. “You lose this match how you’ve lost the second set? You’re gonna be a little bit bummed about it for a while.”

Fratangelo, a retired professional tennis player and Keys’ husband, initially hesitated to take on the coaching role. “I swore it wouldn’t last,” he admitted. However, after Keys’ success at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2023, he found himself fully committed to her career. “What I’ve tried to instill in her is that winning and losing is irrelevant, but how you lose and how you win matters,” Fratangelo said.

Keys’ aggressive playing style, characterized by powerful groundstrokes, has been a hallmark of her game. “Her superpower is hitting one of the biggest balls in the sport,” Fratangelo noted. “She loses putting her foot on the gas pedal, and that’s OK.”

The couple’s journey to this point has been marked by adjustments and mutual understanding. Keys recalled the challenges of transitioning from a personal to a professional relationship. “It got to the point where I was like, ‘I’m asking you for help. If you see something, you have to tell me what I’m doing wrong,’” she said.

Keys, who reached her first Australian Open semifinal a decade ago, reflected on her career evolution. “I’ve really left everything out there,” she said. Despite the absence of a Grand Slam title, she expressed gratitude for her achievements and the support of her husband-coach.

Keys will face No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek in the semifinals on Thursday night. “The match that I have tomorrow is going to be really difficult, so I think it’ll almost be a little bit easier to not get ahead of myself,” she said.

As for Fratangelo’s future on the tour, Keys remains hopeful. “Unless you’re gung-ho about it, I would prefer that I see you and we actually spend time together,” she told him. “Also, I’m playing really well, so ideally I would have you around.”