Madison Keys, a renowned tennis player known for her impressive performance on the US Open and WTA Tour stages since she was fourteen, recently offered a glimpse into her life off the court. In a candid Instagram post, she shared a tour of her home, aptly captioned “Good lighting is my vibe.” Beyond her home aesthetics, Keys divulges her rigorous training regimen to Sports Illustrated, emphasizing a robust approach to fitness with a significant focus on plyometrics to enhance her agility and power on the court. See how.
Keys shared how she trained for the US Open to Sports Illustrated. She says that she does a lot of plyometrics. “We haven’t really been doing that much different. As far as in the gym, we have modified some of the strength training to be a little bit more rehab-specific. We have really upped the plyometrics and things like that. But no dramatic changes.”
Keys talked about how she schedules games during the WTA Tours with Sports Illustrated. “I think you have to be really smart with how you make your schedule. I’ve been on the WTA Tour full-time since I was 18, and I started when I was 14. So, I’ve been on the tour for a really long time and I think it’s about knowing your body and maximizing the calendar to fit your needs. That’s different for everyone. It’s hard to say we just need less tournaments, because a lot of people like to play every week. And there are a lot of tennis players and not a ton of opportunities at the elite level. So, I would never want to say we need less tournaments, which means less jobs for more people. So it’s more about how to prioritize for your own career.”
Keys tells Sports Illustrated that she makes sure to focus on herself. “For me, success has started to become having my own personal goals that have nothing to do with the outcome of matches. They change depending on the tournament and, honestly, depending on the day. For me, success is going out and having a personal performance goal and, more days than not, being able to say I completed that goal. I think if you’re able to do that day in and day out, good things will happen and you can be proud of yourself and keep your head up.”
Keys makes sure to eat healthy. She opened up about her diet to Thorne. “It’s usually a carb + protein + veggie,” she says. “I love cooking when I’m home, so some of my favorite things I’ve made recently for dinner are pasta with Italian sausage and broccoli, salmon burgers, roast pork loin, and I love a fresh slaw.”
Keys values wellness. She tells Thorne, “I think the most important areas to me are energy, recovery, and sleep. If I’m training or in a tournament with matches on back-to-back days, then I focus on those things that make sure I’m physically at my best. I do really long training sessions outside when it’s hot in Florida, where I’m based, so I have to be on top of putting the right things into my body to stay hydrated and energized. Depending on where I’m playing a tournament, it could be just as hot as Florida and a match could go a few hours. If my body is feeling good physically, then it allows me to play more freely and focus on my tennis.”