Madison Keys, the American tennis star, is breaking barriers in the sport through her nonprofit organization, Kindness Wins.
Following her victory over Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarterfinals on January 22, Keys shared the inspiration behind her initiative, which aims to provide children with opportunities to play tennis and benefit from the life skills the sport fosters.
“I felt like tennis has just brought so much opportunity to my life, and I wanted to give that to as many people as possible,” Keys said during her post-match interview.
Keys founded Kindness Wins in 2020 as a nonprofit promoting kindness to youth, self, and others, particularly during times of struggle.
Madison Keys’ family influence on kindness
In a 2022 interview with Glorious, Madison Keys credited her grandmother and mother with instilling the values that inspired Kindness Wins in her.
“When I grew up, my grandma always used to say, ‘Treat people like you want to be treated,’ and that always stuck with me,” Keys shared. Her mother, Christine, also taught her an important lesson in compassion:
“My mom always used to say, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
These teachings shaped Keys’ mission to make tennis accessible and emphasize the values of kindness and inclusion.
A mission beyond tennis
Keys believes that tennis is more than just a sport—it’s a tool for personal development.
“I think it opens many doors and builds great characteristics,” she said. “The more kids playing tennis, the better. That’s kind of my goal.”
Through Kindness Wins, Keys addresses the financial barriers that prevent many children from accessing tennis. It focuses on providing resources such as equipment and facilities to underserved communities.
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On and off the court
Madison Keys’ commitment to kindness and accessibility shines as brightly as her skills on the court. She defeated Svitolina in a hard-fought match (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) to secure her spot in the Australian Open semifinals, where she will face World No. 2 Iga Swiatek on January 23; this will be their sixth encounter, with Swiatek leading their head-to-head record 4-1.
According to a report by Sportskeeda, Keys’ charity is as much about inspiring kindness as it is about growing the sport she loves. Her nonprofit reflects her unwavering belief in sport’s transformative power to inspire positive change in the lives of young people.