Madison Keys, a top-tier American tennis player, has been making waves in the sport from a young age. At 14, she stunned the tennis world by beating Serena Williams, then world number two, at the World Team Tennis League in 2009.
This victory came right after Williams’ Wimbledon win, proving that Keys was a formidable player in her own right.
Keys is known for her aggressive style on the court. She strikes the ball with great power and precision, using her strong forehand and quick serve to overwhelm her opponents. Her ball-hitting speeds are often compared to those of top male tennis players, underscoring her strength and skill.
Throughout her career, Keys has secured six singles titles. While a Grand Slam victory still eludes her, she’s tasted the finals at the 2017 US Open, where she came in second to her friend and fellow American, Sloane Stephens. Additionally, she has reached the semifinals four times at Grand Slam tournaments, including a strong performance at the 2022 Australian Open.
Who is Madison Keys’s Coach in 2023?
Georgi Rumenov
Georgi Rumenov Payakov is a well-regarded tennis coach who has recently been working with American tennis player Madison Keys since January 2022. Originally from Madrid, Spain, Payakov has had a rich career in tennis, both as a player and a coach.
Payakov competed on the ATP Professional Tennis Tour for over ten years as a player. He achieved an ATP singles ranking of 390 and a doubles ranking of 374.
Payakov had a strong year in 2015, claiming three championships, winning the Portugal F5 singles and doubles crown and the Portugal F6 and F9 singles titles. He was also a finalist in the Portugal F2 and Spain F7 tournaments.
However, Payakov is best known for his successful stint as a coach. Before coaching Madison Keys, he was a graduate assistant under head coach Katarina Petrovic for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
He helped the team secure its first C-USA championship title, propelling them to the highest final ITA rankings since 2009.
In his time coaching Keys, he has significantly contributed to her game. In 2022, Keys reached the fourth round at the French Open and the quarterfinals at the Canadian Open, both personal bests.
At the first edition of the United Cup in 2023, Keys, part of Team USA, won all five of her matches, securing the title. This achievement helped her return to the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time since August 2019.
Under Payakov’s guidance, Keys has shown consistent performance. She reached the final at the 2023 Eastbourne International after a gap of nine years and emerged as the winner, securing her seventh title.
Overall, Payakov’s coaching tenure with Madison Keys has been a success. His tennis experience as a player and coach has significantly influenced Keys’ game, leading her to impressive performances on the court.
Madison Keys Past Coaches
Madison Keys has, over the years, worked with a myriad of coaches whose tenure with her is varied in length. Keys’ first top-tier primary coach was John Evert; she sometimes worked with John’s sister Chris Evert during this period.
At the time, she was being trained by the Evert Tennis Academy. Keys left the Evert Academy when she was sixteen and switched coaches to Adam Paterson.
Paterson had been assigned to her by the U.S. Tennis Association to assist with her development. Paterson is famous for being a long-time coach of Former world number one Lindsay Davenport, who has three Grand Slam titles.
Keys also worked with Juan Todero and Jay Gooding during her development years. Both coaches were part of the U.S Tennis Associations’ efforts to ensure Keys fulfilled her potential. Her work with the USTA propelled her into the top 50 of women’s Tennis.
In 2015, Former world number one Lindsay Davenport and her husband John Leach joined Keys coaching team. Keys had a really good season in 2015 but split from her team at the end of the season to find a full-time coach.
Jesse Levine coached Keys for a while in 2016 but was replaced before the start of the clay-court season by Thomas Hogstedt.
After her initial split with Hogstedt at the end of 2016, Davenport and Keys started working together again at the start of 2017.
Dieter Kindleman joined Keys coaching team midway through 2017 and was with her until May 2018. Dieter joined Elise Mertens’s team a month later. Australian David Taylor coached Keys until the end of 2018.
Keys hired Jim Madrigal as a coach for the 2019 season. Still, she reunited with Juan Todero in March 2019, winning her first Clay Tournament with him at the 2019 Volvo Car Open and emerging Western and Southern Open women’s singles champion.
Keys parted ways with Todero after the 2020 Australian Open. The USTA coaches have always been on hand to provide guidance to Keys at all times during her career.
Thomas Hogstedt
photo:opencourt.ca
Thomas Hogstedt, a former professional tennis player, began coaching Madison Keys in April 2016. Keys, the American tennis player, had a great run under his guidance.
She made it to the round of 16 in all four Grand Slam tournaments that year, reached the Olympic semifinals, and qualified for the WTA Finals at the end of the year.
However, the successful partnership ended after just one season for never publicly disclosed reasons.
After stints with other players, Hogstedt reconnected with Keys in 2021. This reunion happened during the Clay Court season.
With his impressive background, the Swedish coach once again took the reins of Keys’ training regimen. With a past record of successful coaching alliances with top players like Tommy Haas, Li Na, Maria Sharapova, and others, Hogstedt has shown a knack for bringing out the best in his players.
As for Keys, having previously thrived under Hogstedt’s mentorship, the prospect of their rekindled partnership was promising.
However, their renewed cooperation ended by the close of January 2022. Despite the split, Hogstedt’s impact on Keys’ game was substantial and likely to be remembered as a significant part of her career.
As for Hogstedt, he continued to be a sought-after coach known for his expertise and his ability to steer players to new heights in their careers.
Madison Keys’ Achievements With Different Coaches
In the table, we have collected data about the trophies won by Madison Keys under the guidance of various coaches.
| Coach | Years of Cooperation | Titles |
| Juan Todero, Jay Gooding | 2013-2014 | 2014 Aegon International, Eastebourne |
| Thomas Hogstedt | 2016,2021-2022 | 2016 Aegon Classic Women’s Singles, Birmingham 2022 Adelaide International 2 |
| Lindsay Davenport | 2017 | 2017 Stanford Women’s Singles |
| Juan Todero | 2013-2014, 2019-2020 |
2019 – Charleston, Cincinnati |
| Georgi Rumenov | 2022- ongoing | 2023 Eastbourne International |
