The Rebellion of Nice

Last Sunday, Australian time Madison Keys won the Australian Open in a gripping three set thriller that had everything, including a tight final set tiebreaker.

It was thrilling tennis. Keys beat world No1 Arynna Sabalenka , the match before Madison had defeated four time grand slam winner I Swiatek in another close slugfest.

As a hard core, tennis is my religion fan I have never been more elated by a tennis player's win as I have this one.

Why you ask? Let's pretend you asked. Because she is possibly the kindest, you will hear a lot about kindness in this piece, athlete in the world and though force of will she has made that matter.

Some backstory. When Maddy, the perfect nickname for her, first arrived on the tennis scene her power and athleticism instantly marked her as a future champ.

Only it didn't happen right way. Tennis potential is tricky thing. Sometimes it can explode immediately, like say Boris Becker or it like a fine wine it needs years to come to its maturity. Madison needed time.

However the trolls of Twitter were not interested in the complexity's of tennis maturation. They want wins and slam titles NOW!!

As Keys cleverly noted in a response to a haters tweet if you bet the mortgage on your house on a sporting event what happens next is on you.

Indeed this part Keys story is a commentary on scourge of sports betting. Whoever coined the phrase betting makes the games more fun has a very odd idea of fun.

Maddy after valiantly struggling with the resulting issues brought on by this kind of onslaught did something that strikes terror in most modern athletes.

She got help. She learned that the process of becoming a better player and going for her shots mattered more than wins and losses. She also took action against the trolls of Twitter. She started a foundation called Kindness wins.

Let's be honest on the surface Kindness Wins is not a great name for a foundation. It sounds too much like the scam that is Be Best. There is however a crucial difference. Keys means it.

Two and half years ago I had the good fortune to watch this in person.

First a little bit about setting in which I got see Madison Keys tennis poweress and the power of her kindness.

The Iowa Lawn Tennis club is situated just outside Charles City Iowa . There the family of Mark and Denise Kuhn family have created a perfect replica of a Wimbledon grass court, except for the tennis foot high corn stalks growing all around the outside of the stadium .

As Maddy came on to the court two things became apparent. That she was by nature shy, in a friendly way and she believes in the cause of Kindness in a powerful way. Her interactions with her fellow, lesser known players, the ball kids, the kids in the stands she glisten with joy.

What struck me a few days later and again this past weekend was what a revolutionary act all of this was and is. In a age when meanness, even full on nastiness is celebrated, when sport figures, performer's and Presidents are celebrated for cruelty as being "authentic" , when this is the new norm what act is more revolutionary than just being nice, just being kind?

I hope Madison Keys wins Wimbledon and the U.S Open, but if she doesn't it won't matter.

She has a far more important trophy.

Go get them Maddy.🍾🎾