What’s an athlete’s secret weapon before a crucial match? Sure, top-tier health, sharp skills, and a little sprinkle of luck are essentials. But there’s something even more powerful—the unwavering support of loved ones. For Madison Keys, this support is extra special because it comes wrapped up in a perfect package: her coach, who also happens to be her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, who knows the game inside and out. Why? Because Fratangelo isn’t just a sideline strategist—he was once a tennis pro himself. But what made him trade his racket for the coaching clipboard?

Named after tennis legend Bjorn Borg, Fratengelo started playing tennis when he was just 4 years old. It was in 2012 when he finally turned pro and played some remarkable matches since then. Fratengelo also qualified for all four grand slams, with his best campaigns coming at the 2016 French Open and 2017 US Open, where he reached the second round. Notably, it was in the 2016 French Open itself when he broke into the Top 100 to achieve his career-high ranking of 99. However, situations soon started to become troublesome for him. 

Fratengelo started to face foot injuries that kept him away from the courts for quite a long time. In August 2023, qualified for the ATP 500 event in Washington but failed to achieve much and was ousted by Gael Monfils in the first round of the main draw. And eventually, his last match came at a challenger event in Cary before finally bidding adieu to the sport in 2023. When quizzed about his challenges, Fratengelo made some honest admissions to ATP Tour.com. “I’m honestly pretty chronically injured,” he said. “D.C. just happened to be because the list dropped,” Fratangelo said. “I hadn’t really been practising, if I’m going to be completely honest,” Fratengelo further remarked.

Continuing further, he reflected on his challenges and shared that his foot has troubled him immensely. “It was nice in a way and it was also a little bit sad, because since then things have kind of gone downhill with the injury and stuff, it’s in my foot. So I really haven’t hit much since. I played [an ATP Challenger Tour event in] Cary afterwards and I haven’t really hit much since then,” Fratangelo said, adding, “It’s actually both feet. I have some genetic problems with some bones in my big toes. And I’ve actually fractured both of my sesamoid bones in both toes.” And since then, he turned his attention to coaching his girlfriend-turned-wife, Keys. 

Remember, Madison Keys and Bjorn Fratangelo first crossed paths in 2006 in Boca Raton when they trained at the same tennis facility and started developing a close friendship. Later, their journey took them to Orlando, where they lived in the same apartment complex for some time. Eventually, they tied the knot in November in Charleston. But how does it feel for Keys to be coached by her husband? Well, the star player has a cheeky revelation to make

Madison Keys opens up on being coached by her husband

Madison Keys began dating Bjorn Fratengelo in 2017 but kept it under wraps before eventually getting engaged in March 2023. They together witnessed some highs and lows in life both personally and professionally. But for Keys, getting coached by her husband is nothing but mixed emotions, an amalgamation of fun and, as she says, some “not super fun” moments. 

In an interaction on Channel Nine’s show Grand Slam Daily, Keys opened up about her on-court partnership with Fratengelo. “The best part [of being coached by her husband] is that we actually get to see each other,” she said. Continuing further, she reflected on the past and added, “When we started dating, he was also playing, and we were not on the same schedule, so we would not spend a whole lot of time together. So it’s great that we actually get to spend time together.” But in true Keys’ style, she ensured to turn cheeky.

“The not-so-great part is having to tell him that he was right a lot of the time, not super fun,” she added, reflecting on the challenges. Now, as she faces compatriot Danielle Collins in the third round, it will be interesting to see how the mix of love and skills helps her and if she manages to continue her run at the Australian Open.