Madison Keys, food critic? World No. 6 to appear as judge on 'Beat Bobby Flay'

Madison Keys the Australian Open champion, Top 10 player, 10-time Hologic WTA Tour champion, US Open finalist ... food critic?

She'll be one on Thursday, Sept. 25., when the 30-year-old American is a guest judge on the Food Network's cooking competition show Beat Bobby Flay.

Keys revealed the news on her new Player's Box Podcast, which she hosts alongside fellow American tennis players Jessica Pegula, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk. 

The World No. 6 was quick to point out that she's judging, not cooking, and said she'll be appearing alongside chef and restaurateur Michael Symon in the episode.

Keys recalled feeling more than a bit out of her lane during filming, but felt the love (and received some much-needed validation) from Symon when she was sampling the cuisine.

"We go into the back and try the food and judge it," Keys told her co-hosts, "and I'm eating, and I feel a little out of place because obviously I'm a tennis player and I'm judging professional chefs. So I'm sitting there and I was like, 'I feel like it's lacking acid?' And he was like, 'Yes, for sure!' I was like, 'Cool, great, I'm gonna write it down in my little notebook!'"

Keys also shared some interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits, revealing that they make multiple plates -- one for TV, additional ones for the judges and usually an extra, depending on which round they're in. Keys would try the food first, in the back, before returning to provide her analysis on-screen.

Keys' appearance on Beat Bobby Flay is actually two years in the making, and the idea was borne on the heels of one of the most painful losses of her career.

After losing to Aryna Sabalenka 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5) in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open, Keys made matters worse by going through her DMs after the match -- "typically when you lose 7-6 in the third and you're going through your DMs, it's not the nicest place to be" -- but it happened to be fortuitous. Once message, unlike the others, caught her eye. 

It was from Bobby Flay himself. He had been at the match in Arthur Ashe Stadium and had been taken with Keys' poise, demeanor and fight during the three-set battle. He was so impressed, in fact, that he extended an invitation.

"He basically was just like, 'I'd love to have you on one of my shows one day,'" Keys said on the podcast. "I was like, 'OK, call me when you have an opening? ... I mean, I sit there and watch Food Network 24 hours a day, so it was really fun."

Check out the conversation about the episode below, at the 24:38 mark.