Madison Keys registered one of her finest wins against Coco Gauff yesterday. She cruised past the 19-year-old overwhelming favorite in straight sets to book a place in Eastbourne final. The world number 25 looks all set to win her first title of the year ahead of the much-awaited final. After a poor start to the season, Keys finds her form just in time for Wimbledon. She also credits her mentor for her support at the same time.

Ahead of her Eastbourne final against Daria Kasatkina, Keys made some interesting revelations. She spoke at length about her mentor who also happens to be a popular rival of Venus and Serena Williams. But, who is the mentor in question?

Madison Keys reveals her relationship with her mentor

It’s no surprise that Keys’ mentor is another fellow American. A former three-time grand slam champion who played several thrilling encounters with Venus and Serena Williams. Yes, you are right, Lindsey Davenport is the mentor in question!

When asked about the 47-year-old, Keys said in her press conference, “We pretty much send like Wordles back and forth every single day (smiling). So it’s a pretty close relationship. Obviously, it started for tennis, and at this point has reached more than that.
She’s someone that is incredibly close to me, and I can go to her for anything.”

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Keys’ relationship with Davenport was strictly limited to tennis but over the years the pair grew closer. She also said that their wordle battles are competitive and when asked about the winner, Keys said, “Depends on the day. We don’t take losses very well though (smiling)“.

Davenport has always been underappreciated for her on and off-court endeavors. Alongside the Williams sisters, she contributed a lot to women’s tennis in America, especially in the 90s. She also shared a special rivalry with the Williams sisters.

READ MORE: Getting to Be Like WWF’- Venus Williams on Her Wimbledon 2000 Battle Against Lindsay Davenport

Davenport’s iconic rivalry with Venus and Serena Williams

Davenport locked horns with Serena Williams 14 times. It was a pretty one-sided rivalry in favor of the 23-time major champion, however, Davenport managed to register four wins against her including one at the US Open.

On the other hand, Davenport’s rivalry with Venus Williams was much more prolific. The duo faced each other 27 times and Davenport edged the neck-to-neck rivalry 14-13. However, Venus led their head-to-head in grand slam meetings winning five of the nine meetings. They played each other in arguably the greatest Wimbledon final in women’s tennis where Venus came out on top with a 9-7 win in the decider.

Where do you rank Davenport’s rivalry with Venus Williams among the greatest rivalries in women’s tennis? Do let us know in the comments.

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