WATCH: Madison Keys' sweet gesture after Dubai match win makes ball girl's day
American tennis star Madison Keys made a ball kid's day at the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships a memorable one. After her triumphant victory against Victoria Azarenka, Keys graciously signed some tennis balls and asked the ball girl to distribute them to the enthusiastic crowd. The ball girl's beaming smile was a testament to her elation and gratitude.
Keys advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships with a commanding victory over No. 15 seed Victoria Azarenka, 6-2, 6-1, in just 57 minutes at the Aviation Club Tennis Center.
After her victory, the 28-year-old fulfilled her post-match duty of signing tennis balls. Instead of handing them out to the crowd herself, Keys delegated the task to one of the ball girls. She handed the ball girl her racquet and the balls to distribute, allowing her to share in the joy of the win.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) shared a video of the same on their social media pages.
"A lovely touch. @madisonkeys defeats Azarenka 6-2, 6-1 in Dubai before handing over some post-match duties to a lucky ball kid," the post was captioned.
You can watch the adorable moment here:
The World No. 23 will face the No. 5 seed, Coco Gauff, in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Gauff advanced to the quarter-finals after ninth seed Elena Rybakina was forced to withdraw from their Round of 16 match due to a lower back injury.
"Thank you for everything" - Madison Keys congratulates Sania Mirza on a glorious career
Madison Keys and her partner Sania Mirza were defeated 6-4, 6-0 in a first-round encounter against the Russian duo of Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in what was Mirza's final professional tennis match. The match lasted just over an hour.
The loss marked the end of an illustrious career for Mirza, who announced her retirement from professional tennis before the match.
The American expressed her admiration for the Indian tennis legend through her social media, thanking Mirza for her invaluable contribution to the sport and for being her friend. Keys expressed her deep appreciation for the tennis star's accomplishments, expressing her love and respect for the athlete.
"@Mirzasaniar ~ thank you for everything you’ve done for tennis and for me as a friend," Keys wrote.
Sania Mirza took to social media to express her heartfelt gratitude to her last tennis partner, Madison Keys, and the entire sports community following her final match.