How Madison Keys Finds Balance Between Grand Slams and Self-Care

There’s no right way to “do” wellness, but Marie Claire’s Doing Well offers a glimpse into the self-care mantras, therapies, and affirmations practiced by industry trailblazers.

Fresh off an incredible 2025 tennis season and just a few days after her US Open run, Madison Keys popped onto my Zoom still buzzing with the kind of energy that carried her through the past year. Back in January, she snagged her first Grand Slam title in an edge-of-your-seat final against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka—a win that solidified her place among the sport's GOATs. But what struck me most—aside from how genuinely warm and relatable she is—is that for Keys, peak performance isn't only about long practice sessions or match day adrenaline. It's about tuning into her body and mind, even amid the chaos and intensity of tour season.

Keys is game to try almost any wellness practice once, but she's the first to admit consistency matters more than buzzy trends. She swears by acupuncture and meditation, keeps an LED light mask tucked in her carry-on, and refuses to travel without a sleep mask and a pocket-sized sound machine. Like every hot girl with a mysterious stomach saga, when gut health issues left her guessing, she turned to Thorne's personalized testing when nothing else was clicking—and says it changed everything.

As we caught up, Keys was candid about what works, what doesn't (spoiler: ice-cold showers are out), and why filling her own cup first is the opposite of selfish. Turns out, winning Grand Slams isn't the only thing Keys is serious about. Here's how she's Doing Well every day.

I do all of the things. I like the more conventional practices, like acupuncture. I love it and really believe in it. I’m also big on red light therapy—I have the hat, the face mask, the blanket. Honestly, there’s pretty much nothing I won’t try at least once. I really do believe in all of it. I don’t know if people would call it woo-woo, but I think sometimes they don’t realize how much it can help.

And I’d also say meditation is incredibly important. Just finding a few quiet, still moments—whether it’s guided or with music—has always been my go-to when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s the most grounding thing for me.

I guess it’s similar as to what I just said. I love a guided meditation, usually on Spotify or something like that. I travel so much, and there’s usually a lot of chaos going on. My job can be unpredictable—things get thrown at us all the time. Like, this year in Madrid there was that massive blackout in Europe. We had no power for an entire day, which was crazy. Once the power finally came back on and I got back to my room, I was just like, I need someone to guide me through this and help me reset.

I have one of those LED face masks, and I travel with it. I think they’re the greatest thing on the planet. I use mine every single day. I got off it for about a week just because I was being lazy, and I swear I saw a difference. I was like, “Put it back on!” You really have to use it daily, but when you do, the results are incredible. It’s all about consistency.

I’d say my silk eye mask because it always travels with me. Actually, I have it with me right now. Oh, and I also have this little Hatch sound machine—it’s super cute and only about $30 on Amazon. I’m pretty sure it's meant for toddlers, but I love it because it’s travel-sized. Having my sleep mask and sound machine, no matter where I am in the world, is my one consistent routine. It really helps me get comfortable and fall asleep.

By really taking time for myself and continuing to do the things that matter most to me, one of which is talking to my therapist. It’s easy to fall out of that habit when schedules get busy, and it can be hard to make time for the things we should prioritize. Sometimes we get in our own way and let other things take precedence over our well-being. For me, it’s about making the effort to carve out time every week to sit down and talk with [them].

I’m such a baby when it comes to the cold. I hate it so much. I’ll cold plunge if I have to, like after a really tough match when I know it’ll help with recovery. I’ll complain the whole time, but I’ll do it. But the whole trend of doing it every day or waking up to take an ice-cold shower first thing every morning? Absolutely not. Yeah, I will not do it.

A few years ago, I was having some gut health issues and felt like I was doing everything right—eating healthy, cutting out dairy, even trying to cut out gluten—but nothing made a big difference. I also realized I was trying too many things at once, so I couldn’t tell what was actually helping. I ended up doing the Thorne gut health test, and it was honestly the most helpful thing ever. You send it in, and they give you this detailed lab report along with suggested supplements and dietary adjustments. Two of the supplements they recommended—one called EnteroMend and another called Undecylenic Acid—completely changed how I felt.

Now, I can tell when I’m not consistent with them; if I slack off, my stomach starts bothering me again. As soon as I get back on track, I’m like, wow, consistency really is everything.

I’d tell my younger self that taking time for yourself and prioritizing your mental, physical, and overall wellness is never selfish. To truly show up for others, you have to be healthy and in a good place yourself. It’s so easy to keep putting more and more people ahead of you, but then it becomes harder to be there for them because you’re not coming from a full cup. I’d remind myself that it’s not just okay, but essential, to fill your own cup first before showing up for the people you love.

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