For Madison Keys, home is where the heart is

If all goes to plan, Madison Keys will be a happily married woman with a perfectly beautiful house by the end of this year. The 29-year-old American and her fiance, Bjorn Fratangelo, just need to survive the months-long renovation efforts while balancing the high-pressure world of professional tennis.

“I would strongly recommend moving with a significant other before you marry them and attempting a home renovation,” Keys said on the WTA Insider Podcast. “But do those things while you’re planning a wedding. It’ll really make things clear on if your marriage will be successful.

“Also, throw in that you guys work together now,” she laughed.

“Actually, maybe don’t take any of my advice.”

Listen to the full rollicking conversation with Keys on the WTA Insider Podcast below:

With Fratangelo at the coaching helm, Keys has enjoyed a strong season on the Hologic WTA Tour. Rannked No.14 on the Hologic WTA Tour, she is one of four Americans in the Top 15, boosted by a surprisingly strong clay-court season that saw her make the semifinals in Madrid and quarterfinals in Rome. She lost to World No.1 Iga Swiatek both times, but closed out her clay season with a title in Strasbourg.

Success this season was never guaranteed for the big-hitting American, who did not start her season until Indian Wells due to injury. Not that the time at home wasn’t put to good use. She has spearheaded the renovation efforts of their home in Florida, and what started out as a minor project grew and in scope and scale to take over the couple’s lives for much of the year.

“My GC gets a text message from me every day,” Keys said. “‘Hey, are we almost done? Do I have all of my cabinet doors? Are they all in now? Where are they?

“‘Hey, Bjorn will actually kill me if we come home and we still don’t have a bathroom.’

“I have put deposits down for our wedding in November, and I need that wedding to happen. So I’m going to need our bathroom to be done.”

“If my house isn’t done by the end of the year, things will be bad and you’ll see it on the tennis court,” Keys said with a cackle. “The worst bad that you’ve ever seen.”