Naomi Osaka recently got hit with an interesting question at the Miami Open: Do basketball players have what it takes to play tennis? The four-time Grand Slam champ kept it real. “Everyone’s athletic and maybe hand-eye coordination,” she replied. Translation? Some skills might transfer, but don’t expect LeBron James to be lifting a Wimbledon trophy anytime soon. Madison Keys, however, is game to coach a hoops star, if they already have a solid base. So who has she picked to be her protege?
The Australian Open champion has already bagged two titles this season: The Adelaide International and the Australian Open. Though she suffered a setback in Miami, losing to 19-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala in straight sets, Keys is back on track. The American tennis star bounced back in Charleston, defeating fellow American Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 7-6(4) in just 1 hour and 42 minutes. With her experience and skill, it’s no surprise that she would make an excellent coach as well!
Speaking to the WTA Tour, the 30-year-old revealed the basketball player she’d love to mentor. “I want to say Jimmy Butler because he’s obsessed with tennis. So I feel like we already have a good base to kind of work off of,” Keys said. “I don’t think I could actually teach someone from the ground up from the start. It would be pretty tragic.”
Butler’s love for tennis is no secret. The six-time NBA All-Star has been spotted at major tournaments, from the Miami Open to Roland Garros and the US Open. He even took to the court at the 2023 US Open’s “Stars of the Open” event. Teaming up with Frances Tiafoe, Butler faced Carlos Alcaraz and Grammy-winning artist Sebastián Yatra in a fun exhibition match. The NBA star didn’t hold back. After consulting with Tiafoe, he baited Alcaraz with a drop shot, announcing it as he hit it, before firing a clean passing shot. The crowd loved it. While Butler is a hardcore tennis fan, he’s not the only athlete who’s crossed over between basketball and tennis.
Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe are two of the biggest basketball enthusiasts on the tennis circuit. Both players have shown their love for the sport through social media posts or courtside appearances at NBA games. Tiafoe even played in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. As for Kyrgios, basketball was his “first love.” At the 2022 US Open, he revealed that he has tattoos of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and the late Kobe Bryant. His admiration for basketball’s greatest legends runs deep.
While these tennis stars take inspiration from basketball, Madison Keys has been a role model in her own right.
Madison Keys becomes an inspiration after her triumph at the Australian Open
Madison Keys’s journey to tennis stardom began at just 10 years old. She moved from Illinois to Florida to train at Chris Evert’s academy, chasing her dream of winning a Grand Slam. At 16, she made her major debut at the US Open, winning her first-round match and setting the tone for an incredible career. But success didn’t come easy. It took her 46 main draw appearances, including a runner-up finish at the 2017 US Open, before she finally reached her goal.
At 29, she made it happen. The American tennis star captured her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, defeating top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. She became the second-oldest woman to win her first major in the Open Era. Along the way, she took down top players like Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, proving she belongs among the sport’s elite.
After her Charleston victory, Keys reflected on her journey in an interview with the Tennis Channel. “It’s actually amazing,” she said. “I’ve had so many people come up to me and tell me that it was amazing that I did it. Obviously, I did it right before I turned 30, so everyone who is close to 30, 30, or 31 is still playing some of their best tennis.” Her late-career breakthrough is inspiring to many, echoing Novak Djokovic’s famous words: “36 is the new 26.”
From winning her first Slam to possibly coaching an NBA star, Keys is proving that tennis careers don’t have an expiration date. Would you want to see Jimmy Butler take on the pro circuit with Keys as his coach?
The post “It Would Be Pretty Tragic,” Jimmy Butler Receives High Praise From Madison Keys As Her Favorite NBA Pick for Tennis appeared first on EssentiallySports.
