“My team believed in me every step of the way so, thank you so much,” Madison Keys beamed at her post-match interview yesterday, after claiming her maiden Australian Open title. The American tennis ace triumphed over top seed Belarusian and two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the AO, securing her first Grand Slam trophy. So, who are the faces behind her success? It’s surely a team that stands behind Keys as a rock. Even Serena Williams’ ex coach, Rennae Stubbs, can’t get enough of!

Enter her supportive husband and coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, her dedicated trainer, as well as motivator Reshard Langford, and her trusted physio Kayla Fujimoto Epperson, who shared the spotlight on the sidelines as Keys lifted the coveted trophy at Melbourne Park.

Madison Keys’ AO triumph is no less than a dream come true because she had to overcome tough opponents throughout. Beating the likes of Danielle Collins (3rd round), Elena Rybakina (4th round), Elina Svitolina (QF), Iga Swiatek (SF) and Aryna Sabalenka (final) is no joke, right?

The finalist of the 2017 US Open had won 10 tour-level titles but somehow didn’t win a single GS till yesterday. And, as she finally lifted her first GS as AO after beating Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, former world number 1 Rennae Stubbs, immediately took to Instagram and congratulated her, along with the team members of Keys.

As the match ended at Rod Laver Arena, the 66 WTA doubles winner Stubbs posted a carousel of pictures and videos over her Instagram story, which included Racquet’s video about Keys’ challenging journey to the Australian Open trophy, the winning moment shared by the Australian Open Instagram page, the trophy presentation, and the match-winning point. And, later, she posted an ESPN women’s video of Keys, where she pointed to her teammates, stating “It’s takes a village! @bjornfrat @lang_r48 @theathleteconnection @madisonkeys,”. 

That’s not it! Stubbs also shared a post from Bjorn Fratangelo, the husband of Keys, featuring Keys’ winning moment, quoting, “This sums it up! Congrats to these 3 for ALWAYS believing in her!”. However, what are the contributions of these three in Keys’ 2025 AO journey? Immense!

Bjorn Fratangelo

2011 French Open junior winner Fratangelo met Keys during a training session in Florida. Subsequently, their relationship started before Fratangelo proposed to her on her return from the Dubai Championships, and eventually, both tied the knot in November 2024. The Pittsburgh native husband coach, who stepped into coaching 18 months ago, has been a steadfast supporter of the new AO open champion and stayed with her side throughout the tournament. His efforts were rewarded with a special hug from the Keys moments after her AO victory.

Kayla Fujimoto Epperson

The alum of Indiana University’s tennis program and a DPT and CSCS, Kayla has been with Keys for several years now. Although the physio has been on the tour since 2023, Kayla’s presence at the sidelines provided constant support for Keys in this year’s AO.

Reshard Langford

An ex-NFL star coach, the sidelines of both Madison Keys and semi-finalist Ben Shelton have seen Langford. Primarily working with Shelton since 2020 to improve his footwork; the world has seen him on the sidelines of Keys, which eventually turned out positive for the 19th seed American to win the title. 

So as things stand, the Semi-finalist of 2015 AO has finally achieved her dream to conquer her first-ever GS, of course, with the unwavering support of her team. And in her post-match comments, Keys also reflected on her journey throughout the tournament.

Madison Keys shares her AO breakthrough just after her winning the Happy Slam at Rod Laver Arena

Finally, a Grand Slam trophy is in the cabinet! The former US Open semi-finalist Keys broke into tears after her AO triumph at Melbourne Park, a venue where she had suffered a heartbreaking SF loss in 2023. And, as the thrilling three-set battle that ended 2-1 on a packed Rod Laver Arena, Maddy etched her name in tennis history as the first woman since Svetlana Kuznetsova to defeat the world’s top two seeds en route to a Grand Slam glory. And right after the match, her emotions broke into tears as she attended the post-match interview.

“I have wanted this for so long and I have been in one of the Grand Slam’s finals, it did not go my way, didn’t know, if I was ever be able to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again. My team believed in me in every step of the way so, thank you so much. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and helped me every step of the way,” she added. And, later, she also thanked her teammates for being with her throughout the tournament, as well as shed light on her tough 2024 AO where she could not participate because of a shoulder injury before a hamstring problem.  

“Last year was so tough with some really bad injuries and I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to do it again and to be here and have this trophy and also be able to do it with my husband, who is kind of dazed and confused over there. Alright, love you all so much and cannot wait for more. I just wanna say, thank you so much, I am so appreciative to every single person who helped me continue to believe in myself, push on to achieve this dream and thank you so much and I cannot wait to see you all next year,” she added.

Maddy’s 2025 season started with back-to-back trophies, which never happened before in her career. Do you think she can continue with her form in upcoming Grand Slams later this year? Share your thoughts below!