Madison Keys was just 16 when she featured in her first US Open, and the home Grand Slam holds a special place in the now-29-year-old's tennis star's heart.

"It's truly the best, greatest feeling in the entire world," Keys told JWS last week. "I think there have been some of my most heartbreaking moments in front of a US Open crowd, but also some of my absolute most favorite, literally to the point of mid-match getting goosebumps."

Ahead of today's 2024 US Open kickoff, Keys commented on the power of the New York Slam's fans, saying, "The thing I've always loved about playing at the US Open is that, literally no matter how down and out you felt, the entire crowd was still there trying to get you through and push you through."

A chaotic 2024 sets up Keys's US Open appearance

The world No. 14 has had a rollercoaster 2024 season, missing the Australian Open due to injury before making solid finishes at WTA events in Miami, Madrid, and Strasbourg.

The Illinois product then suffered an injury at Wimbledon, withdrawing in the Round of 16 while in a winning position against eventual finalist Jasmine Paolini. "As devastating as that match against Jasmine was, it was also one of my favorite matches that I've played," she explained. "Just because I feel like we were both playing so well."

Her veteran perspective allowed Keys to calmly view the injury for what it was: a simple setback. "[Wimbledon] was really reassuring that I didn't do anything wrong," Keys said. "It wasn't this big thing that we had to worry about or manage. It was just really horrible timing."

"I've started to change my perspective on success and goals," she added. "At the end of every day, being able to say, 'Okay, did I accomplish my goal? If not, what were the lessons learned? How can I move forward with them?' I think that's honestly the best way to go about success in tennis."

Prioritizing health is vital to Keys's tennis career

The 2016 Rio Olympic semifinalist pulled out of the 2024 Paris Games in an effort to maintain her wellness and gear up for the season's final Slam — a decision she says was hard-won.

"It’s one of the greatest honors to be able to play for your country and play at an Olympics, and it was honestly one of my favorite tennis moments of my life," she said. "But I'm getting older — I've been on tour for a long time. They like to call me a veteran now, and I think you have to start shifting gears a little bit to prioritize the best schedule... to be able to maintain a high level and stay healthy."

At this stage in her career, Keys notes that every little thing matters, like putting nutrition and rest first in the run-up to another US Open while also partnering with supplement companies to boost her conditioning along the way.

"It's a lot about the details — we're constantly putting our bodies under insane amounts of stress and traveling," she said. "Being able to, like, literally not get a cold, something as small as that. I've been lucky to be able to partner with Thorne — that has been my absolute go-to — because if I can do all of the things right, I'm setting myself up for success.

"The other thing is prioritizing recovery, making sure that I have my whey protein, getting a good night's sleep, and being able to recover — those things are so important. Most people would think, 'Oh, it's about time in the gym and on the court.' That's obviously really important, but it's all of the little details that create the full picture."

Recognizing that pacing her seasons and listening to her body will help protect her health and, ultimately, her career, Keys is clear on her path forward. "At this point in my career, my biggest goal is I want to play tennis for as long as I want to play tennis," she said. "I don't want some outside force to be the reason that I have to step away from the game."

The 2025 WNBA preseason put together an exceptionally strong start this weekend, earning stellar viewership led by the fan-favorite Indiana Fever.

In the league's first-ever fully broadcast preseason, Sunday's exhibition between the Fever and the Brazil women's national team earned ESPN an average audience of 1.3 million viewers, with a peak at 1.6 million fans.

That average represents a 13% increase over the network's 2024 WNBA regular-season viewership per game.

Even more, Sunday's Fever audience surpassed the viewership marks of every NBA preseason matchup on ESPN since 2018, as well as topping the then-record number of fans who tuned into Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals.

Sunday's pregame show WNBA Countdown also saw a big boost, averaging 571,000 viewers to mark a 71% year-over-year increase.

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Fever, Clark fuel WNBA-leading attendance, viewership

The 108-44 Indiana victory was a homecoming for 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, with the exhibition taking place at her alma mater, Iowa.

Like the clamor to tune into the game, all 15,500 seats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena — where Clark's No. 22 jersey was raised into the rafters in February — sold out in just 24 minutes.

The fanbase surrounding Clark and the Fever is notoriously enthusiastic, with demand for tickets to see Indiana on the road surpassing all other WNBA teams this season.

Similarly — as evidenced by Sunday's exhibition — the Fever drives significant viewership numbers. The WNBA is strategically capitalizing on that trend, granting Indiana more national broadcasts and streams than any other team in the league this season.

Aiming to add even more most-watched games to the network's docket, ESPN platforms snagged 10 of the Fever's 41 national broadcasts this season, including an ABC airing of Indiana's 2025 opener against regional rival Chicago on May 17th.

Elevating games to ESPN's flagship channel, Clark says, "really helps" grow the WNBA.

"As a competitor, these are the moments you live for, when the spotlight's on," Clark told reporters before Sunday's preseason clash. "We're on ESPN. This is a great opportunity for our team."

Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun!

Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.

This week, the Sports Are Fun! hosts get right into the week's biggest news: who wore what on the red carpet at Monday night's Met Gala.

And what better way to size up the women's sports athletes in attendance than to blind rank their Met Gala looks? Of course, O'Hara volunteered herself as tribute.

"I know nothing about what happened last night," says O'Hara, preparing to lay eyes on the celebrity guests for the very first time. "And I deleted Instagram from my social media because we wanted to be able to blind rank the 'fits of the athletes."

"What's cool about the Met Gala in years past?" she continues. "I feel like we're seeing more and more female athletes go onto the carpet and be included in the Met Gala, which is incredible."

"So the theme was Black tailoring through the years," says BJ, who actually worked the annual New York event as part of the floral team. "It's like representing and honoring Black artists, their fashion, and how they represent themselves.

"They had a couple videos come out of how sports athletes specifically also do that, how they represent with jerseys and in their clothes. It's kind of like their suit of armor."

"I love that. That's awesome," says O'Hara. "Should we get into the blind ranking? Let's do it."

In addition to gushing over the Met Gala, the crew dives into top-table NWSL shakeups, WNBA preseason action, what exactly is going on between Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, and so much more!

'Sports Are Fun!' can't get enough of Angel Reese at the Met Gala

The Sports Are Fun gang subsequently got right into it. As each photo filled the screen, O'Hara, Diaz, and BJ gave their hottest takes on the designers, the clothes, and the women's sports stars stealing the spotlight.

The first athlete to impress? Angel Reese.

"Ooh Angel Reese," says Diaz, marveling over the Chicago Sky star's black tuxedo-inspired outfit. "It's actually her birthday today and she has a game today. But her coach was very accepting and willing to allow her to go, which is super supportive."

"I'm kind of obsessed with this," says O'Hara.

"This is a Tom Brown ensemble," explains Diaz. "She's wearing a 107 carats of diamonds between all the jewelry she has on."

"I love this," says O'Hara. "It's a bit like men's fashion with the color, the broad shoulders. I love what I can see of the silhouette. Do you see these words that I'm using? I'm such a fashionista."

"I'm obsessed," she continues. "I don't want put it one because that'd be crazy... Okay, I'm going to put this two."

The rest of the list runs the gamut from gymnastics superstar Simone Biles to LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson to several members of the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty. Tune in to see who comes out on top and who's look was a bit of a flop.

About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara

'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.

Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.

From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

Decorated US skier Mikaela Shiffrin is investing in the NWSL, backing 2026 expansion side Denver, the club announced on Tuesday.

Hailing from Vail, Colorado, the all-time winningest World Cup alpine skier is bringing her championship ways — which includes two Olympic gold medals, eight World Championships, and 101 World Cup victories — to her home soccer team.

"I'm beyond thrilled to join the ownership group of Denver NWSL and support something so meaningful in the community I call home," Shiffrin said in a club statement.

"The sport culture in Colorado is rich and deep, and — most notably — the growth of women's sports is one of the most exciting movements in our culture today," she continued. "To be part of it, and to help bring professional women's soccer to Colorado, is not only an incredible investment opportunity — but it is both an honor and a joy."

The 30-year-old is just the latest prominent women's sports athlete to buy into the NWSL, with the league seeing club valuations rise and further expansion on the horizon.

"Mikaela's commitment to excellence, her global impact, and her deep Colorado roots make her a perfect addition to our ownership group," said Denver NWSL controlling owner Rob Cohen. "We're building a club with purpose, and having Mikaela's vision and voice in that journey will be invaluable."

The 2025 WNBA preseason continued on Tuesday, as teams size up their rosters with less than 10 days to go until the regular season tips off.

After missing the playoffs last year, the Chicago Sky is showing out under new head coach Tyler Marsh, complementing their weekend win over Brazil with a 74-69 victory against 2024 championship contenders Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Sky successfully leaned into their young core, pairing second-year bigs Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso with new backcourt talent like rookie Hailey Van Lith. Also lifting Chicago this season are veteran leaders Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot.

"Hailey is great, she's like a sponge," Vandersloot said after Tuesday's game. "She's listened to everything I say. I think the best part of it is that we can compete in practice — we're going to make each other better."

With Tuesday's win, the Sky join the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces in winning both of their 2025 WNBA preseason matchups so far, with Chicago forecasting quite the turnaround from last year's losing record.

"We understand that nothing that's happened in the past, good or bad, impacts what we're doing moving forward — and that's with any team," Marsh told reporters this week.

After a quietly active offseason and several key draft picks, the 2025 WNBA season could see the Sky right the ship — as long as Chicago keeps striking a balance between their young firepower and seasoned leaders.