Madison Keys has been one of the most exciting tennis players to see over the past years. The American athlete has taken seven WTA titles and is now competing for her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. Over the past weeks, Keys has overcome the odds, defeating some of the best players in the world and reaching the tournament's final stages. Tomorrow, she's scheduled to play Aryna Sabalenka, the number-one player in the world.
As we prepare to watch her participate in one of the biggest matches of her career, we wanted to learn more about her, including her relationship with her coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo.
Keys and Fratangelo started dating in 2017, shortly after meeting in a training facility in Boca Raton, Florida. Both then moved to Orlando, where they lived in the same apartment complex. The pair dated for six years before getting engaged, with Fratangelo proposing in March 2023, according to a report shared by Essentially Sports.
While Fratangelo is a coach now, he also played tennis, winning the French Open boys' title in 2011 when he was 17.
In 2018, he had one of the biggest years of his career; after experiencing various injuries, he won his third ATP Challenger Tour Title. “This is probably the most emotional victory I've had in my career,” he said at the time.
“I don't get excited about a lot of things, but this one is pretty bittersweet with how my year has gone and how I've been able to turn it around. If a few months ago someone told me I'd be holding a $100k Challenger title, I would have laughed. But here I am and I'm pretty proud of myself.”
The couple made their doubles debut at the US Open
Despite leading separate careers, they found moments that intersected. In 2021, Keys and Fratangelo played doubles, making their debut in the US Open. “He finally wore me down,” said Keys to ATP Tour. “I was always just saying I was going to be so nervous and I was going to have to try so hard, but he finally said, ‘We’ll just have some fun.’ I’m very happy that we did it.”
While the two prefer to keep their relationship out of the eyes of the media, Fratangelo can be seen and heard supporting Keys through her matches. “I think he’s pretty chatty just because being a player, I think a lot of times when you look over you’re not getting anything, you kind of want some back and forth,” said Keys after winning a match at Wimbledon in 2023.
Keys and Fratangelo got married in 2024, in a ceremony attended by their friends and family, including tennis players like Jessica Pegula.