Madison Keys and Bjorn Fratangelo at the 2025 Australian Open.Photo:Cameron Spencer/Getty

Madison Keys of the United States is kissed by her coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo after the Women’s Singles Trophy Presentation following the Women’s Singles Final against Aryna Sabalenka during day 14 of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.

Cameron Spencer/Getty

The2025 Australian Open champion, who defeatedAryna Sabalenkaon Saturday, Jan. 25 to win her first Grand Slam, tells PEOPLE that she had to convince Fratangelo to step in as her coach two years ago. At the time, she had played a portion of the season without a coach, so she asked her then-fiancé, a former top 100 player on the men’s tour, to help her “for the next few weeks.”

“He kind of begrudgingly did it,” Keys, 29, recalls. “It was funny because the first week he was so uncomfortable. He’s like, ‘I don’t like telling you what to do.’ “

Madison Keys wins the 2025 Australian Open.Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Madison Keys of United States of America holds the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup during speech after winning the final against Aryna Sabalenka (not seen) at the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia on January 25, 2025. Madison Keys won the first Grand Slam title of her career on Saturday, defeating two-time defending winner Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the 2025 Australian Open. The 29-year-old American, seeded 19th, triumphed 6-3, 2-,6, and 7-5 in a thrilling two-hour, two-minute match at Rod Laver Arena. With this victory, Keys became the first women’s singles player to defeat the world’s top two players at a Grand Slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros in 2009, and the first to do so at the Australian Open since Serena Williams in 2005.

Mark Avellino/Anadolu via Getty

Keys adds that while they were both active players, they excelled at “just being a support system” rather than getting involved in each other’s careers.

“It didn’t take that long, but it took a little bit of just getting comfortable with it,” she says.

The pair, who have been together for eight years, quickly acclimated to the new situation, and Keys won a tournament immediately after Fratangelo, 31, came on board. She believes that they “just work really well together,” and with her husband coaching her, they can see each other “all of the time.”

“Now having achieved the biggest thing in our sport and the fact that we got to do it together is just, I mean, it’s one of my favorite things,” says the tennis star, who defeated world No. 1 Sabalenka, 26, and No. 2Iga Świątek, 23, back-to-back for the title.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Madison Keys and Bjorn Fratangelo engaged in March 2023.Madison Keys Instagram

Madison Keys and Bjorn Fratangelo are engaged

Madison Keys Instagram

Now newlyweds, the couple was married on Nov. 23, 2024 at The Dunlin in Kiawah River, S.C., which she calls “the best day of her life.” The nuptials saw some of Keys’ closest friends on tour in attendance, includingSloane Stephens,Jessica PegulaandTaylor Townsend.

Keys recalls of the big day: “‘These are all of my favorite people, and they’re all here, and this is just the greatest thing ever.’ And I immediately was like, ‘We should have another wedding because this is really fun.’ “

source: people.com