A look at Madison Keys' teeth transformation alongside her career journey
Throughout her career, fans have seen noticeable changes in Madison Keys' teeth, which include a brighter colour and a straighter alignment. At the time she turned pro, Keys wore braces, and these changes suggest the possibility of dental solutions.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- As a teenager, early in her career, Madison Keys had a natural, uneven alignment of her front teeth.
- This appearance changed as her career progressed, with her teeth appearing uniform, straighter, and whiter.
- Although she has not acknowledged any dental work, speculation suggests that she used orthodontics.
- After years of public scrutiny and speculation, Madison has capitalised on her bright smile to raise awareness about online bullying.
Profile summary
Full name | Madison Keys |
Nickname | Madi, Maddy |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 17 February 1995 |
Age | 31 years as of 2026 |
Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
Place of birth | Rock Island, Illinois, United States |
Residence | Orlando, Florida, United States |
Nationality | American |
Weight in kilograms | 66 |
Weight in pounds | 145 |
Height in centimetres | 178 |
Height in feet | 5'10" |
Hair colour | Dark brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Mother | Christine Keys |
Father | Rick Keys |
Siblings | 3 |
Marital status | Married |
Spouse | Bjorn Fratangelo |
Education | Evert Tennis Academy, Kaplan Virtual Education |
Profession | Professional tennis player |
Highest ranking | WTA No. 5 (24 February 2025) |
Current ranking (as of 2026) | WTA No. 16 |
Grand Slam titles | 1 |
Net worth | $12 million |
Social media |
Why did Madison Keys' teeth become a topic of discussion?
There was no particular incident that made Keys' teeth a talking point; however, obvious changes that took place over time made her brighter smile stand out. Along with these changes, her prominence in the tennis world grew, as did unconfirmed speculation about cosmetic intervention.
After turning pro, Keys was targeted for her appearance and the changes in her appearance, a predicament that has pushed her to be a fearless advocate against cyberbullying. In an interview with Refinery29, she described the experience,
At 14, when I turned pro, I started receiving a lot of online bullying—whether it was people calling me fat or ugly or saying that my teeth were weird.
Source: Original
The WTA No. 15, who is now known for her signature toothy smile, runs anti-bullying campaigns through her organisation, KindnessWins, her social media profiles, and speaking engagements.
In preparation for matches, she often uses her trademark grin to rally fans with captions such as 'Smile says it all' before her semifinal match against Barbora Krejčíková at the 25 January 2022 Australian Open.
To update fans on her January 2020 Brisbane International match, she made a Facebook post, captioned,
All smiles because I start my year tomorrow at Brisbane Tennis!
Source: Twitter
A look at Madison Keys' early life and personal background
The professional tennis player was born on 17 February 1995 in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. Her parents are Rick, an attorney and partner in Keys Law Offices, PC, and Christine A. Keys, a retired personal injury lawyer. She has an older sister, Sydney, and two younger siblings: Montana and Hunter.
Keys was homeschooled through high school in the Kaplan Virtual Education system. At ten years old, she moved from her hometown to Florida, where she trained at the Evert Tennis Academy.
In an interview with the Miami Herald, she gave a sneak peek into her experiences growing up.
I have very fond memories of coming down for one-month vacations in Boca when I was 8, 9, and 10, and two of the four weeks I would do the camp at Evert Academy. When I was 10, John (Evert) pulled my parents aside and said, `Hey, if you guys want to really go for this, then I think she should come as a full-timer.'
Source: Twitter
Madison Keys' career and path to becoming a Grand Slam champion
Keys' interest in the sport was piqued by an outfit worn by Venus Williams. Her active involvement in the sport soon began, thanks to her parents' push.
I actually started when I was four, and I was walking through my parents' bedroom, and Venus Williams was on TV. I said, 'I really like that tennis dress'... So my mom said, 'We'll get you an outfit, but you have to play.' I mentioned it (again) like three weeks later, and again it's a four-year-old, and she was like, 'Okay, I guess we'll play tennis.' Yeah, thanks, Mom.
To assist her daughter, Christine took an early retirement and moved with Keys to Florida, where she was receiving professional training. The sacrifice paid off when Keys turned pro at 14, becoming the youngest tennis player to win a WTA-level match since 1994 at her main-draw debut at the MPS Group Championships in Florida, USA.
Source: Twitter
Keys' breakthrough and early success (2009–2015)
In 2009, Madison recorded her first win as a tennis pro. Two years later, she won another wild-card entry at the US Open, beating Jill Craybas. This win grew her youngest-ever records as she became the youngest player to win a match at the Open since 2005.
Between 2009 and 2015, Madison Keys moved in the WTA year-end rankings from 621 to 18. Despite numerous sports injuries to her wrist, forearm, adductor, and shoulder, 2015 was a transformative year for her career.
At 19, she rose to international elite status after reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, defeating Petra Kvitová and Venus Williams. However, she lost to Serena Williams in the semifinals.
Her steady growth was marked by reaching the Family Circle Cup finals, Wimbledon quarterfinals, and the French Open third round at Roland Garros.
Source: Getty Images
Years of struggle and growth (2016–2024)
Now working with the former world number 1, Lindsay Davenport, Madison Keys continued to position herself as an international threat. In 2016, she broke into the top 10 WTA ranks at No. 8 and later at No. 7. In the same year, she reached the fourth round of all four Grand Slam tournaments. Here are some of her Grand Slam titles recorded in this period.
- 2015 Wimbledon quarter-finalist
- 2017 US Open finalist
- 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist
- 2023 Wimbledon quarter-finalist
Between 2016 and 2024, she suffered sickness and various injuries to her neck, wrist, knee, thigh, and hamstring, some of which forced her withdrawal from matches. Her 2019 knee injury left her out of the WTA Elite Trophy, while the 2024 hamstring injury forced her to retire during the fourth round in a match against Jasmine Paolini at Wimbledon.
Although she dropped in rank, she remained in the top 20 WTA ranks throughout this period. Her lowest ranking was recorded in 2021 at position 56, a rank she recovered from by year's end, closing at position 16.
Source: Twitter
Keys' historic Australian Open triumph (2025)
Nine years after her WTA Finals debut, Keys made a comeback after qualifying for the 2025 WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. She lost two matches and withdrew from the last due to illness. Other notable matches include her win at the 2025 Madrid Open, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya.
Madison Keys was one of the American tennis players at the 2025 Australian Open, along with Emma Navarro and Coco Gauff. At the tournament, she made the play of a lifetime, winning against two-time defending champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (6-3, 2-6, 7-5) and world No. 2 Iga Świątek (5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8)) in the finals and semifinals, respectively.
Source: Twitter
FAQs
- Who is Madison Keys? She is an American professional tennis player.
- What was Madison Keys' age? As of February 2026, the 2025 Grand Slam champion is 31 years old, and her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
- What is Madison Keys' ethnicity? Born to a Black father and a White mother, Keys is of African-American descent.
- Who are Madison Keys’ parents? Her parents are Illinois attorneys Rick and Christine Keys.
- Does Madison Keys have siblings? She has three siblings: Sydney, Hunter, and Montana.
- Is Madison Keys married? She has been married since November 2024.
- Did Madison Keys have her teeth fixed? In spite of widespread speculation, Madison has not confirmed if she has had any work done on her teeth.
- Where does Madison Keys train? Madison Keys trains at Lake Nona, Florida, and is coached by her husband.
- Who is Madison Keys' husband? She is married to former ATP tennis player-turned-coach, Bjorn Fratangelo.
- What is Madison Keys’ net worth? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Madison Keys has a net worth of approximately $12 million.
The transformation of Madison Keys' teeth over the years reveals a brighter, more aligned appearance that mirrors her confidence on and off the court. While she has not officially confirmed any cosmetic work, her radiant smile has become a centrepiece of her Kindness Wins campaign, where she champions positivity and mental well-being.
Legit.ng published an article about Ben Shelton's parents. The professional tennis player's fame skyrocketed in 2023 after winning his maiden ATP title and Grand Slam semi-finals.
In the same year, the American tennis prodigy and his father, Bryan Shelton, joined the ranks of only three father-son duos to win ATP singles titles in the Open Era. Read on to discover more about his parents and how they have influenced his career and early success.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
