Australian Open champion Madison Keys credits therapy with helping her off a tennis court and on

The first person Madison Keys sent a message to after winning the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam title was her mother. "Because," a smiling Keys said, "of course, you have to text Mom first." One of the others the 29-year-old American quickly reached out to was her therapist. Keys credits their conversations over the past 1 1/2 years with helping her in life, generally—understanding herself, discovering what truly matters—but also on a tennis court, whether it comes to accepting that nerves will arrive during a match or deciding she would be okay with never winning a major trophy. Keys said during an interview with The Associated Press that she and her therapist "talked a lot" during this trip overseas, including after a narrow victory over qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round. "I called her and said that I was kind of just dealing with some things. And we were able to talk," Keys said. "And then we kind of just continued to text since then." They speak weekly or every other week during the season when possible. "There's also the reality of: Sometimes, I'm like, 'Hey, I need to talk mid-tournament,'" Keys explained. "Sometimes it's even just being able to go back and forth (with) someone that can just kind of provide some support." Keys said she first tried speaking with a sports psychologist when she was around 18 or 19, then tried working with others. "Never really found anyone that I quite connected with and clicked with," she said. "And then, I finally kind of pivoted and went with my current therapist." "The stigma around therapy, in general, not just in sports, I think, is slowly starting to go away. I think that everyone should be in therapy, no matter what. I think it helps," Keys said. "No matter what's going on in your life, you're going to have moments where things are tough, and you need someone to talk to. I think it's very important." This article was provided by The Associated Press.