The Madison Keys story is a masterclass in hope – and a primer for every writer, says Dr Erin O’Dwyer
Australian Open grand slam winner, American Madison Keys arrived in Adelaide in early January ranked Number 14 in the world. She left Melbourne ranked Number 7.
We’re writers, I hear you say. Why should we care? Because the Keys story has all the elements of great storytelling. And the key driver in this chapter? Hope.
Hope is at the heart of great storytelling. It’s the force that propels characters through struggle toward something greater. In every great narrative, hope is the foundation of resilience, urging characters to persist, to adapt and to evolve. Without hope, stories flatline.
The Keys story has all the elements of great storytelling
Long road to victory
Madison Keys’ path to her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open is a perfect example of hope in action.
Keys reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2015, pushing then Number 1 Serena Williams hard before falling in straight sets. Williams went on to win the Australian Open, but predicted Keys would one day be Number 1. “I think she can be the best in the world,” Williams said.
In 2017, Keys reached the US Open final, only to be defeated by her friend Sloane Stephens. It felt like the beginning of something big – except it wasn’t.
Over the years, injuries, inconsistency, and self-doubt kept Keys from fulfilling her potential.
Turning point: Change, resilience and hope
In 2023, her new coach and soon-to-be husband Bjorn Fratangelo asked Keys if she wanted to continue being a “No.11 to No.25” player. The answer was no. The pair worked together to change Keys’ racket and service motion coming into the Australian season. She won the Adelaide International and then the Australian Open, playing a game that was steady and calm. Watching her matches was like watching a tennis version of The Tortoise and the Hare.
What kept her going? Hope. And a lot of therapy. Therapy helped her reframe her mindset and let go of the belief that winning was the only measure of her worth.
“From a pretty young age, I felt like if I never won a grand slam, then I wouldn’t have lived up to what people thought I should have been,” she said in post-match interviews. “I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without a grand slam. I was going to absolutely be OK…”
Hope in storytelling propels action, reflection, resilience and resolution.
What writers can learn from the Keys story
Hope in storytelling is on show when the main character longs for something – or someone. That longing – and how they deal with it – adds emotional depth and drives the narrative forward. It propels action, reflection, resilience and resolution.
If you have a story which is not working, ask yourself: does my main character have hope? How does my character want things to be different? What does the character need to do to keep their hope alive and work towards their dreams or goals? What barriers and hurdles are standing in their way? If they had hope, how might it change their actions or the outcome of the story?
In the end, hope isn’t just a part of storytelling – it’s a critical driver that turns struggle into triumph, and keeps audiences glued to the stage, page or screen.
