All About Madison Keys' Parents, Rick and Christine Keys

Madison Keys' parents have supported her tennis dreams

Madison Keys’ parents, Rick and Christine Keys, sacrificed for their daughter to reach tennis stardom.

Attorney and former college basketball player Rick, and attorney Christine, welcomed their daughter Madison on Feb. 17, 1995, in Rock Island, Ill. The couple also have two younger daughters: Montana and Hunter.

Madison started playing tennis at a young age. “She had seen Venus Williams on TV in a pretty dress [that she liked] and decided that's what she wanted to do,” Rick told Vavel. “Madison was a dancer but we wanted to support her so we got her a racquetball racquet and she started to hit on the wall.”

To support Madison’s dreams as she improved her tennis skill level, Christine paused her career and moved to Boca Raton, Fla., with Madison and her sisters, so their eldest daughter could attend the Evert Tennis Academy. The mother-daughter pair grew close during these years in Florida.

“What I love most about our relationship is that we are on some sort of mental connection where I pretty much know what you’re thinking,” Christine told the United States Tennis Association while being interviewed by Madison. “We laugh and we have fun and we enjoy each other’s company ... we have a mutual respect.”

From their careers to supporting her tennis dreams, here’s everything to know about Madison Keys’ parents, Rick and Christine Keys.

Christine is an attorney, but retired for 10 years to help Madison pursue her dreams

Christine has had a successful career as an attorney specializing in personal injury and workers' compensation after graduating from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago in 1991. According to her LinkedIn profile, from 1995 to 2005 she worked as an attorney at Nelson, Keys & Keys, PC with her husband Rick.

When Christine and Rick recognized Madison’s potential to become a professional tennis player, they enrolled her in Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton. To make this happen, Christine retired from her legal practice for 10 years before opening her own practice again in 2015.

She eventually returned to Winstein, Kavensky & Cunningham, LLC, to practice law in Rock Island. This was the same firm she worked at after law school in 1993.

Rick is an attorney

When Madison and her parents made the decision for her to pursue a tennis career when she was only 9 years old, Rick and Christine had to make sacrifices. While Christine retired from her career for a decade, Rick continued working as an attorney in Rock Island to support Madison’s dreams.

"I have to spend most of my time in Rock Island in order to keep the dream alive. I have to take care of business here which was something Christine and I used to do together,” Rick told Vavel. “Her role in Florida was mother, chauffeur, cook, support team, school etc. Mostly on her own. We both had to make sacrifices and take on significant roles to make it work."

Rick has had a successful career as an attorney for over three decades and is now an attorney and partner in Keys Law Offices, PC. He graduated from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1991 and focuses his practice on personal injury claims and criminal defense law.

They supported Madison’s tennis dreams after she was inspired by Venus Williams

Madison was originally inspired to start playing tennis while watching Venus Williams. It wasn’t just Venus’ play that inspired Madison, but her style as well.

“You were walking through the bedroom and Wimbledon was on and you said ‘Hey, can I get that dress?’ and it was Venus Williams’ white dress with the cut-out back [in] 1999 and I said ‘Yeah but you have to play that game with the racquet,’ ” Christine said while being interviewed by Madison for the United States Tennis Association. “So about two weeks later you go, ‘Hey, when are we getting that dress and the stick?’ ”

Madison’s parents eventually got her both the dress and a racquet and Madison went on to have a successful professional tennis career, known for her powerful forehand and aggressive style of play.

Rick and Christine have three kids

When Madison moved to Boca Raton with Christine, her two younger daughters, Montana and Hunter, came with her.

“The best part about being a mom is watching your child figure out a problem,” Christine said in the United States Tennis Association video. “When they can figure something out based on the skills that you’ve helped them develop and they actually are successful at making a good decision, that’s the best part.”

Madison and her mom have a passion for interior design

When Madison interviewed Christine for the United States Tennis Association, she asked her what activities she enjoys doing with her. “We are excellent house designers, house decorators, shoppers, movie-goers and dinner companions,” Christine responded.

She and Madison have a shared love of interior design. In 2020, Madison gave an exclusive interview and tour of her then-new house to PEOPLE and revealed that her mom had even helped with certain aspects of the house.

“I had a really great summer in 2017; I won a title [the Stanford Classic], and then I made the finals of the U.S. Open and I just thought ‘Why not buy a house?’ ” Madison said. “Decorating is my way to relax and be creative.”

“I would just have HGTV on all day. When I was 13, my mom came into my room in the middle of the night, and I was rearranging my furniture. Now, having my own space and being able to put holes in the walls, it’s just amped everything up,” Madison continued. “My mom and I installed the wallpaper together.”

When Madison was on the road, she even sent certain items for her house to her mom’s house for safekeeping.

Rick was raised by a single mother and used his values to influence Madison’s upbringing

In an interview with Vavel, Rick was asked how he balances the intense commitment of raising a professional athlete with knowing when and how to let them be more independent. Rick credited having this balance and his parenting style to how he was raised.

"I was raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to give us a good life in a nice neighborhood so that we saw life as an opportunity. She instilled good values in us and taught us that if we were prepared to work hard we can achieve anything in life,” Rick said. “I like to think this life philosophy is something we have passed on to our kids and is the reason Madison succeeded when others faded.”

Christine is the president of Madison’s charity

Madison has worked in the nonprofit space and was an ambassador for FearlesslyGIRL: an organization “dedicated to empowering young women and creating a world where kindness is at the forefront in our homes, schools, communities and businesses.”

While interviewed by Madison for the United States Tennis Association, Christine said that even with all of Madison’s tennis achievements, she felt this was one of her most impressive accomplishments.

“It’s probably one of the [things I’m most proud of] in the last four or five years is how you’ve given a voice and have helped girls understand it’s just not them,” she said. “Your ambassadorship with FearlesslyGIRL is [one of the] top three accomplishments in your life in my opinion.”

In 2020, Madison founded her own nonprofit organization called Kindness Wins, “dedicated to promoting kindness to youth, kindness to self and kindness to others in times of struggles.” The foundation provides access to sports, education and other resources for youth. Two years later, Madison announced on Instagram that she had chosen her mom to be the foundation’s president.

“No one knows me better than my mom. So when I had to hire someone to run my charity @kindnesswinsfoundation, I couldn’t think of a better person. My mom is the President of Kindness Wins, handling all of the fundraising and charitable outreach we do, and she knows exactly what I’m passionate about when it comes to helping others!” Madison wrote on Instagram.

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