Madison Keys has had a lot of success on the tennis court, but one major title has eluded her so far. She reached the semifinals of several open tournaments and the final of the 2017 US Open, but she has yet to lift a major. Keys hopes her open tournament drought ends at the 2022 Australian Open.
Keys reached the semifinals, where she will face reigning World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, who has not dropped a set the entire tournament. Madison is also on an impressive winning run, so she promises to be a close contest.
Madison Keys’ parents will cheer her on as she searches for glory in Australia.
Madison Keys was born on February 17, 1995 in Rock Island, Illinois, the daughter of Christine and Rick Keys. Rick was a star basketball player at Augustana College, but he chose a legal career over sports. Christine was also a lawyer, but she dropped out to support Madison’s tennis career.
Keys’ interest in tennis arose after she fell in love with Venus Williams’ outfit at Wimbledon. The then 4-year-old girl begged her parents for her white dress. Christine and Rick replied that if she wanted the dress, she would have to accept a con as well.
Madison was the only one of her siblings who played tennis: her sisters Sydney, Montana, and Hunter showed no interest in tennis. Keys wiped out the competition at local clinics, so her parents sought out a more challenging environment for her.
Shortly after arriving at Evert Academy, Madison said it felt like home. “Obviously this was a great moment because she knew that she belonged with these talented young stars,” Rick said. Vavel. Unfortunately, Evert Academy is in Florida, almost 1,000 miles from Illinois.
Every pro Rick and Christine spoke to was adamant that Madison needed to train with Evert if she wanted to go pro. “If we stayed in Illinois, the dream would die,” Rick said. Vavel. “There was no going back.”
Madison’s parents found a place near Evert Academy to house the family. “[We] he made arrangements to move the kids there and still keep a place on Rock Island to take care of business,” Rick said.
Christine quit her job in Illinois to care for her family in Florida. Meanwhile, Rick remained in Illinois to keep his business alive. He explained:
I have to take care of business here. [Rock Island], which was something Christine and I used to do together. Her role in Florida was mother, driver, cook, support team, school, etc. Mainly alone. We both had to make sacrifices and take on important roles to make it work.”
The funds needed to sponsor Madison’s junior race surprised Rick and Christie. “You always hear people talk about how we don’t involve athletes in sports, but no one steps up and says money has a lot to do with it,” Rick said. The New York Times.
Madison’s parents believe their daughter’s happiness matters more than results
Rick’s business on Rock Island prevented him from spending time with his daughters. “I am a family man and it was hard being away from my loved ones for so long,” Rick said. However, Madison’s rapid progress eased some of her pain.
The pressures of young professional careers have been well documented in recent years. We hear stories of young sports stars so obsessed with career advancement that they miss out on being kids.
rick said Vavel that Madison didn’t miss a thing: she developed her skills while enjoying life with her friends. He explained:
“It is absolutely essential to have fun. Madison has been traveling the world since she was very young, staying in the best hotels spending time with her best friends while she develops amazing skills and gets a good education. It’s an amazing life, one I never wanted to deprive her of.”
Parents of young stars often, and perhaps inadvertently, put pressure on their children to produce results. Madison may have felt a greater need to act after seeing her parents sacrifice so much to move to Florida.
rick said Vavel that made Keys understand that happiness mattered more than results. He said: “Whatever you do has to be sustainable. If you’re too hard on your kids, you take them out of the sport. It’s a long journey and it has to be nice, or the flame will go out.”
Even now that Madison is one of the best tennis players, her happiness matters more than success. “I’m ecstatic to see Madison win WTA tournaments and defeat the best in the world, but I’m even more pleased to see that she’s happy,” added Rick.
Keys’ mom is proud of the work Madison is doing with Fearless Girl
“Madison has always given back,” says her father. “Whether she is traveling the world or here at home, she is always involved in something that will best contribute to a better environment.”
One of the ways that Madison gives back is through Fearless Girl. The organization is “committed to helping girls build confidence, be kinder to themselves and others, and fearlessly take the lead in their lives, schools and communities.”
Keys joined the initiative after experiencing abuse online, including racial hate. Madison has a black father and a white mother, but her racial identity does not matter to him. “I don’t really identify as white or African-American,” Keys said. The New York Times. “It’s just me. I’m Madison.
In a 2018 Mother’s Day interview, Christine told Madison that she is proud of Madison’s ability to turn online hate into a positive venture like Fearless Girl. christina said:
“As ugly as that [online hate] It was, it became the Fearless Girl passion that you have. You are special because you appreciate the ability and platform you have to talk about it. It’s probably one of the things you’re most proud of having done. That’s how you gave girls a voice and helped them understand that it’s just not them.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn