Australian Open champion Madison Keys to appear as guest judge on hit cooking show 'Beat Bobby Flay'

When she's not swinging her racket, tennis star Madison Keys has other passions. One of which centers around her refined palate, as evidenced by her invitation to be a guest judge on the Food Network's cooking competition show Beat Bobby Flay.

The American will be appearing on an episode of the hit TV show that is set to air on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Keys made the announcement on her new Player's Box Podcast, which she hosts alongside fellow American tennis players Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk.

Keys was quick to point out that she will not be cooking. Her appearance in that episode will be strictly as a judge, where she will be appearing alongside chef and restaurateur Michael Symon.

The World No.6 gave some background information on how her appearance materialized. Keys stated she was contacted by Bobby Flay himself after her semifinal loss to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open.

Keys dishes on behind-the-scenes secrets

The reigning Australian Open champion stated Flay had been impressed by poise, demeanor and fight during the three-set battle against Sabalenka, and said so when he sent her a DM soon after the match.

"He basically was just like, 'I'd love to have you on one of my shows one day,'" Keys said on the podcast. "I was like, 'OK, call me when you have an opening? ... I mean, I sit there and watch Food Network 24 hours a day, so it was really fun."

Keys would share some tidbits from what goes on when the cameras aren't rolling. The 30-year old revealed that they make multiple plates; one for TV, additional ones for the judges and usually an extra, depending on which round they're in. Keys would try the food first, in the back, before returning to provide her analysis on-screen.

"We go into the back and try the food and judge it," Keys told her co-hosts, "and I'm eating, and I feel a little out of place because obviously I'm a tennis player and I'm judging professional chefs. So I'm sitting there and I was like, 'I feel like it's lacking acid?' And he was like, 'Yes, for sure!' I was like, 'Cool, great, I'm gonna write it down in my little notebook!'"