Madison Keys and Charleston tournament team up to raise $75,000 for her charitable foundation

Madison Keys kicked off the clay-court season by giving back. The American was joined by several of her fellow pros at a pro-am event at the Credit One Charleston Open over the weekend, as the group came together to raise $75,000 for underserved communities.

Keys was joined for the event by Jessica Pegula, Shelby Rogers, Emma Navarro, Elina Svitolina and Desirae Krawczyk, and others, and the funds raised through the event will be donated by Keys' charitable foundation, Kindness Wins, to two projects that the 2017 US Open finalist herself hand-picked.

“I think we all had so much fun. Being able to do this here in Charleston means the world to me," Keys said in an interview with Nick McCarvel for the tournament's official website. "I have never missed a year here since I first started playing. To be able to do this with all of these people that I’ve known for so long and care about so much it’s amazing.”

The funds will be donated towards Courting Kids, a Charleston-area organization that works to get kids ages 5-17 playing tennis, as well as the effort by 2021 junior US Open doubles finalist Reese Brantmeier, currently a sophomore on the 2023 NCAA Division I-champion University of North Carolina tennis team, to restore her hometown tennis courts in Whitewater, Wisc.

“The main goal for me is to get tennis to be as accessible as possible for as many people, especially kids,” Keys said.

The longstanding WTA 500 event has often used its pre-event weeked for a charitable pro-am in recent years, including raising $100,000 for Ukrainian humanitarian relief efforts in each of the last two years. Tournament director Bob Moran hailed Keys as an "exceptional athlete on the court," as well as "an inspiring role model off of it," and that the tournament was "honored" to partner with her in making a difference in this way.

"Her commitment to spreading kindness and making a tangible impact in communities is something we deeply admire," he said. "Madison’s dedication to fostering positive change showcases the powerful role athletes can play, and we’re honored to have been a part of this meaningful journey.”

Keys, a 2015 finalist and 2019 champion in Charleston, is seeded No. 8 at this year's event, and will start her clay-court swing against Romania's Jaqueline Cristian.