Madison Keys' husband explains how relationship changed when he became her coach

Bjorn Fratangelo has coached Madison Keys to the Australian Open final

Madison Keys has reached her first Australian Open final after a tennis heart-to-heart with her coach - and new husband. The world No.14 met fellow former teenage star Bjorn Fratangelo playing mixed doubles and they started dating in 2017. Former world No.99 Fratangelo started coaching her in the summer of 2023 - and they still got married in November.

And the 2017 US Open finalist, now 29, has started this season with a new Yonex racquet, a new service action and a new “more freeing” attitude. “I think just really buying into: ‘Let's just go for it and be open to change’,” said Keys. And Fratangelo, 31 said: “I think it started when we kind of had a little more tennis dialogue in our relationship. "When we decided I was going to be with her full-time, it was like: ‘How much do you want to get out of this? Are you happy with staying (rank) 11 through 25? Do you want to try to push for more? What do you want? You're almost 30 years old’.

Madison Keys

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"I think she's nowhere near her full potential. Sharpening the axe can get you so far, but sometimes you just need new tools. I think that's what I've tried to bring to the table. And I think she's done an unbelievable job at being receptive and kind of taking that on.” But Fratangelo, who sits in the courtside coaching pod and gives in-match advice, admitted: “It's nerve-wracking. I try to stay as calm as I can in the box, but I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and tell you that I don't have a pulse. You feel kind of helpless. When I'm just sitting there watching, yeah, it's another level of stress.”

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