Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens get real in Nike interview

Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens have been close friends quite literally as long as they can remember.

"In tennis, you’re kind of just around the same people all the time," Stephens explains. "I think we were like, 'Oh, hi, like, let’s be friends. We’re close in age.'"

The pair have gone on to share some incredible moments on the court, including a US Open final where Stephens overcame Keys to win her first major title, and, as they share in a joint interview with Nike's editorial director Dierdre Dyer, have always managed to set their rivalry aside remain friends off it.

"I think it’s because we’ve been competing our entire friendship," Keys said. "It’s very natural that we both know that the other one wants to win that day. And it’s nothing against our friendship or the other person; it’s just sports."

The two have gotten each other through tough times, too, particularly when both women were injured before their 2017 final in New York.

"We were kind of trying to figure out what we were going to do next," said Stephens, who was sidelined for nearly a year with a foot injury. "Like, are we going to be able to play and compete the same? That was one of the times where both our injuries were in sync, I guess. Not that that’s a good thing."

"We’ve both done really well to be super preoccupied while we’re injured and find new things we’re interested in," Keys added and joked, "Sloane crushed school while she was doing it. I wasn’t quite that proactive. I just bought a bunch of plants and spent all of my time putting things in soil. Sloane just finished school and then kept finishing school. And I was like, 'All right, I’m going to go buy more furniture and plants.'"

Click here to check out the full interview, which covers their respective charities (Keys' Kindness Wins and Stephens' eponymous foundation), racial justice, and gender equality.