American tennis star Madison Keys beat 2-time defending Australian champion Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open championship in Melbourne on Saturday.
Madison, seeded 19th in the tournament, prevented No. 1 seed Sabalenka from earning what would have been her third Australian Open trophy.
Madison, 29, accomplished a rare feat in tennis – beating both the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world, back to back, to win her first major championship.
After Madison Keys won the first Grand Slam title of her career, online search inquiries spiked for “Madison Keys’ father.”
Some tennis fans assumed Madison’s father was NBA GOAT Julius “Dr. J” Erving, 74.
But Dr. J’s daughter is another famous mixed race tennis player named Alexandra Stevenson, 44.
Dr. J confirmed reports in 1999 that he was Alexandra’s father after the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel newspaper published a copy of her birth certificate naming him as the father.
Dr. J fathered Alexandra (pictured) with a Caucasian woman while he was married to his ex-wife, Turquoise Brown. They divorced in 2003. He then married Dorys Madden in 2008. It isn’t clear if Alexandra has ever met her famous father.
Tennis fans constantly confuse Madison Keys for Alexandra Stevenson because they look like twins.
Madison’s father Rick Keys, who is Black, is a constant presence at her tennis matches. Ironically, Rick was a star basketball player in college.
Madison’s mother Christine Keys is Caucasian. Both of Madison’s parents are attorneys.
Madison, who is from Illinois, first took interest in tennis at age 4 when she admired Serena Williams’ white tennis dress. She begged her parents for a similar tennis dress. But her father told her she would have to learn how to play tennis if she wanted that dress.
Madison’s parents sent her to the Chris Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida at age 9.
Madison first made headlines when she defeated Serena Williams in 2009. She reached the 2017 US Open finals and was ranked No. 7 in the world that year.
