As US star Madison Keys continues to be bombarded with well-wishes from family, friends and fans ahead of the Australian Open final, the 19th seed is hoping compatriot Frances Tiafoe doesn’t reach out.
The reason ? Keys is highly superstitious, and in previous tournaments whenever her good friend Tiafoe has wished her luck, defeats have followed.
‘We have this kind of joke where in the past he wouldn’t say anything pre-tournament or anything, and then he would text me, like, in the quarters or the semis or something, and I would lose the next round,’ Keys said before toppling Iga Swiatek in a dramatic semi-final where she saved one match point.
‘So we have this new rule. Like I saw him a few days ago, and I said, ‘Don’t text me, I don’t want to hear from you at all, just leave me alone.
‘Then we will talk after the tournament.’
It comes as Keys – who will be the rank outsider on Saturday night on Rod Laver Arena against top seed Aryna Sabalenka – revealed a racquet change has been largely responsible for her scintillating form in 2025.
As Madison Keys continues to be bombarded with well-wishes ahead of the Australian Open final, the 19th seed is hoping compatriot Frances Tiafoe doesn’t reach out
Madison Keys is superstitious, and in previous tournaments whenever her good friend Frances Tiafoe has wished her luck, defeats have followed
Before coming to Melbourne Park, Keys, 29, won the Adelaide International.
She is also unbeaten in six matches at the Open.
The 2017 US Open runner-up boldly switched racquet providers from Wilson to Yonex – and results have followed.
‘The big focus for me this off-season was really just kind of buying into ‘I’ll try anything, I’ll do anything, I’ll be open’. I’m open to any and all changes. Let’s just really go for it,’ said the world No.14.
‘Obviously I’m at the later point of my career. It just kind of felt like, ‘Why not?’
‘However many more years I have left [on the WTA circuit] I need to be willing to adapt and be a little bit more open to change.’
Keys conceded she knew very little about racquets and string tension before her husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo convinced her to switch it up.
‘I feel like I’m able to kind of go for things a little bit more, but [also] have the ability to be able to control them a little bit more,’ she said.
‘One of the big things is, especially on the days where I’m not really feeling things, I felt like I have the ability to kind of manipulate things with my racquet and my hands and kind of have a little bit more safety.
‘I was kind of struggling with that before.
‘I definitely think it’s obviously been a huge benefit for me and has brought a lot more to my game.’
The women’s final is scheduled to begin at 7.30pm AEDT on Saturday.
