Madison Keys names $160,000,000-worth NFL legend as non-tennis athlete she'd like to play with 

Madison Keys named NFL legend Drew Brees as the non-tennis athlete she would most like to play her sport with. Keys recently won her first Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open.

Seeded 19th at the Melbourne Major, Keys faced top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final and emerged victorious with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to secure the title.

Following her win, while making an appearance on CBS Morning, Keys answered some quick-fire questions. She named four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters as her favorite tennis idol growing up. When asked if she had any pre-match rituals or superstitions, the World No. 7 revealed that she doesn't have any superstitions and that she prefers to avoid repeating the same routine every day.

“Kim Clijsters,” Keys answered.

“I try to not have superstitions, which becomes a superstition. So, I try to never do the same thing every single day, so that I don’t have to keep doing it,” she added.

Madison Keys also shared that her "go-to hype" song is any track by the band Paramore. When asked which athlete from another sport she would like to play with, she expressed her desire to team up with Drew Brees, whose net worth is estimated at $160 million according to celebritynetworth.com.

“Go-to hype song is pretty much anything by Paramore,” Keys said.

“Any athletes in another sport? I would say Drew Brees because I was a huge fan growing up,” she answered.

During her journey to winning the 2025 Australian Open, Keys defeated Ann Li, qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 10th seed Danielle Collins, and sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the first four rounds.

The 29-year old then went on to defeat 28th seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, second seed Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, and ultimately Aryna Sabalenka, who had previously clinched the title in 2023 and 2024, defeating Elena Rybakina and Zheng Qinwen, respectively, in the final to claim the Australian Open title.

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What Madison Keys said after winning Australian Open 2025: “I have wanted this for so long”

Madison Keys with the 2025 Australian Open Women singles trophy [Image Source: Getty Images]

At the post-match trophy presentation ceremony at the 2025 Australian Open, Madison Keys stated that winning a Grand Slam was somethings she has wanted for a long time.

During the speech, Keys also thanked her team for believing in her and pushing her to "achieve" her dream of winning a Grand Slam title.

“I have wanted this for so long. My team believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and helped me every step of the way. I just want to say thank you so much. I am so appreciative to every single person who helped me continue to believe in myself and push me to achieve this dream. Thank you so much and I cannot wait to see you all next year,” Keys said.

Prior to competing in the 2025 Australian Open, Keys had won another another title. She competed at the Adelaide International where she defeated compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final to win the tournament.