Madison Keys is one of the lucky few with close-knit relationships in the American tennis fraternity. Her friends are always there to offer support or laughter, whether she wins or loses. Remember when American players like Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula hyped her up after she clinched her first Grand Slam in January? It was a historic moment, and they knew the emotional weight of it after watching her try for years and come close once before in 2017. These friendships continue to shine through on her social media. As she progresses through her season, these friendships continue to come up on social media. But with an odd request from the 22-year-old servebot!

So Madison’s sunshine double campaign ended with a semifinal run in Indian Wells and a final at the Miami Open against Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka seemed fired up to avenge her loss to Keys in the Australian Open final. Despite this, Keys kept her head high and entered the Charleston Open. Her run ended in the R16 against Anna Kalinskaya, but she didn’t seem fazed. Perhaps it could be because Charleston holds a special place for her; it was her first clay-court win in 2019 and remains one of her favorite tournaments.

But that’s not all. Madison has many cherished memories of Charleston. She even got married there in November 2024 to her longtime partner and coach, former ATP pro Bjorn Fratangelo. It’s no surprise she commemorated her time at the tournament with an Instagram post. The post featured a montage of low-key moments, captioned, “Charleston 💜 Thank you to the @creditonecharlestonopen and the fans for always making it feel like home.” The montage included her driving and on-court moments.

However, one particular photo caught Ben Shelton’s eye—a picture of Madison at a café with artsy coffee mugs on the table. He commented, “Need the name of that coffee place.”

While others sent her good luck for her next tournament or appreciated her images, Ben remained focused on finding that delicious coffee! But this isn’t unusual for them, as they’ve shared many moments before.

When Madison Keys and Bjorn Fratangelo tied the knot, Shelton was among the first to convey his well-wishes with a heartfelt “Congrats.” Other members of the American tennis fraternity soon joined him. Emma Navarro chimed in with “Yayy, congratz yooz two,” while Kim Clijsters added, “Congratulations guys! Great pictures.”

Laura Robson simply said, “The bestttt,” and Shelby Rogers wrote, “Congratulations!” Alison Riske-Amritraj welcomed them with, “Thrilled for you two!!! Congratulations!!! Welcome to the PITT CREW.”

Goes to show just how tight-knit the American fraternity is, right? In fact, when Ben and Madison were in Melbourne, she noted that the young ATP star and his father were among those who hyped her up, playing a role in her confidence.

Madison speaks about Shelton’s approval of her form

When Madison Keys defeated Elena Rybakina to advance to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Ben Shelton was there to celebrate. As she walked into the players’ area, he flexed his muscles, signaling she was a “beast” on the court. Although fans had mixed reactions to his gesture, it’s clear that Madison and Ben have a special bond beyond just being fellow American tennis players.

The viral moment sparked a conversation about their friendship and Ben’s role as her hypeman. Madison Keys shared a heartwarming story about how Ben and his father, Bryan, supported her during preseason in Orlando. “Ben is honestly one of the best hypemen in the world,” she said.

“We did preseason in Orlando together, and it was basically every day I’d be hitting, and I would hear something from Ben three courts down.” She added, “I mean, between him and his dad I finished preseason, and I was like, am I phenomenal? I think I am, the Sheltons surely think I am so maybe I am.”

She had kicked off her 2025 season on a high note. Winning the Adelaide International and then the Australian Open.

Now, she’s looking back to get back into form as she heads into the clay-court season, which includes the Charleston Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open, and French Open. Do you think we’ll see more interactions or hype moments from Shelton and Keys? Share your thoughts in the comments below!