'My job can be unpredictable—things get thrown at us all the time' - Madison Keys reveals her favourite self-care methods, and how she prioritises mental health

Reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys opened up about the methods she uses when focusing on mental health and wellness.

The American wrote her name into the record books at the start of 2025, surprising the tennis world by overcoming world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne to win her first Grand Slam title. A big part of that is not just the effort she exerts on the court, but off it.

Wellness practise methods Keys prefers, and avoids

Many tennis players, among other sports, are increasingly focusing on their mental well-being, to get them in the best mindset when they compete at the biggest and most prestigious events in the world. Keys is one who focuses on this, favouring a range of techniques to try and pick out the best one for her.

Speaking to Maire Claire, Keys said: "I do all of the things. I like the more conventional practises, like acupuncture. I love it and really believe in it. I’m also big on red light therapy—I have the hat, the face mask, the blanket. Honestly, there’s pretty much nothing I won’t try at least once. I really do believe in all of it. I don’t know if people would call it woo-woo, but I think sometimes they don’t realize how much it can help.

"And I’d also say meditation is incredibly important. Just finding a few quiet, still moments—whether it’s guided or with music—has always been my go-to when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s the most grounding thing for me."

When asked what she would do 10 minutes before a match, she said: "I guess it’s similar as to what I just said. I love a guided meditation, usually on Spotify or something like that. I travel so much, and there’s usually a lot of chaos going on. My job can be unpredictable—things get thrown at us all the time. Like, this year in Madrid there was that massive blackout in Europe. We had no power for an entire day, which was crazy. Once the power finally came back on and I got back to my room, I was just like, I need someone to guide me through this and help me reset."

Something that she refuses to participate in is cold showers and ice baths. "I’m such a baby when it comes to the cold," she said. "I hate it so much. I’ll cold plunge if I have to, like after a really tough match when I know it’ll help with recovery. I’ll complain the whole time, but I’ll do it. But the whole trend of doing it every day or waking up to take an ice-cold shower first thing every morning? Absolutely not. Yeah, I will not do it."

Focusing on her mental health

Mental health is being prioritised by numerous people throughout the world, with it becoming an ever-growing topic. Everoyone has their separate methods of staying on top of it, with Keys falling back on therapy and focusing on herself.

"By really taking time for myself and continuing to do the things that matter most to me, one of which is talking to my therapist," she said. "It’s easy to fall out of that habit when schedules get busy, and it can be hard to make time for the things we should prioritise. Sometimes we get in our own way and let other things take precedence over our well-being. For me, it’s about making the effort to carve out time every week to sit down and talk with [them]."

When asked what she would tell her younger self, she said: "I’d tell my younger self that taking time for yourself and prioritising your mental, physical, and overall wellness is never selfish. To truly show up for others, you have to be healthy and in a good place yourself. It’s so easy to keep putting more and more people ahead of you, but then it becomes harder to be there for them because you’re not coming from a full cup. I’d remind myself that it’s not just okay, but essential, to fill your own cup first before showing up for the people you love."