Belinda Bencic teases Madison Keys over her priceless reaction to playful gesture during Indian Wells practice

Belinda Bencic posted a humorous exchange from her practice session with Madison Keys before the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Bencic jokingly touched Keys' racket during a break, and the reigning Australian Open champion responded with a humorous reaction. The Swiss tennis star couldn't help but tease Keys about her reaction, joking that the American may not be so happy with her for it.

Returning to the tour last year following her maternity leave, Bencic has incrementally regained her momentum, moving through ITF events before reintegrating with the WTA Tour. The Swiss player capped off 2024 on a strong note by advancing to the final of the WTA 125 Open In Arte Angers Loire before taking part in the United Cup. In 2025, she got off to a promising start with deep runs in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi, where she won her ninth WTA singles title by beating Ashlyn Krueger in the final.

While Bencic has been gradually climbing back into form, Keys has been having her best season on the court. The American had started the new year by participating in the ASB Classic in Auckland and then embarked on a title-gathering spree, winning the Adelaide International title and subsequently clinching her first Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open by beating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

With both Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys coming to Indian Wells in good form, their practice session was a treat to watch for the crowd. Bencic posted the funny exchange on her Instagram story, sharing a picture of Keys' funny reaction when she touched her racket. She captioned the exchange in a humorous way:

"Not sure @madisonkeys is too happy that I'm touching her racket."

Screengrab of Belinda Bencic's Instagram story (@belindabencic)

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A look at Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys' opening matches

In Picture: Madison Keys and Belinda Bencic at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open (Source: Getty)

Belinda Bencic will begin her ninth BNP Paribas Open bid on March 5, 2025. Bencic will face World No. 87 Tatjana Maria in the opening round. They will have their third encounter on the WTA tour, as Bencic leads their head-to-head encounter 1-0 against the German tennis star. The victor of this match will meet 17th seed Amanda Anisimova in the second round.

Madison Keys, however, will be competing in her 14th BNP Paribas Open campaign. The fifth-seed American had a bye in the first round and will face either Jessica Bouzas Maneiro or Anastasia Potapova in the second round.