Madison Keys Points Out Major Changes in ATP and WTA Tours After Retirements of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams
Madison Keys is bidding to win her third title of the season after the Adelaide International and the Australian Open.
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Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Madison Keys, Serena Williams (Image via CNN, Britannica, X/We Are Tennis)
Madison Keys suggested that tennis has become more open in both the ATP and WTA tours after the retirements of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic‘s massive slump in form. Keys is in Rome for the second clay-court WTA 1000 of the season, and will kick-start her campaign in the second round against Varvara Gracheva.
In the pre-tournament press conference, Keys said that the retirements of the legends have seen several players win their career’s biggest titles. Williams called time on her career at the 2022 US Open, then Federer followed suit at the Laver Cup.
Last year, Nadal hung up his racket at the Davis Cup, and Djokovic too, if not too soon, will join them. Age is catching up with the Serb as he is struggling to win matches, registering three consecutive defeats twice this season, following which, he skipped the Italian Open.
I think part of it is because we’ve kind of lost some of our legends obviously. Like there’s no longer Serena Williams in every draw where you just assume she’s going to win. On the men’s side, you don’t have Roger, Rafa, and Novak every single week.
Madison Keys said at the press conference
Keys lifted the biggest title of her career when she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final. Before that, she secured a win over her compatriot Jessica Pegula in the Adelaide International final.
Since winning the Australian Open, the American reached just one semifinal, at Indian Wells, losing to Sabalenka in straight sets. Keys last was seen in action in the quarterfinal of the Madrid Open. Despite handing Iga Swiatek a bagel in the first set, she ended up losing the match.
Madison Keys makes her feelings known on the electronic line calling
Several tennis players have expressed their frustration with the controversial electronic line calling system on clay. At the Stuttgart Open, Aryna Sabalenka took a photo of the ball mark to prove that the ball was in but the chair umpire was adamant that it was out. Electronic line calling was not installed in that tournament.
The system was there at the Madrid Open but Alexander Zverev was forced to take out his phone and click the picture, to show that the system was wrong. Madison Keys has now given her opinion on the electronic line calling versus the traditional lines-people debate on the clay.
I also know that electronic line calling has a margin for error. I think it gets a little bit tricky when you’re staring at a mark that’s clearly out, but the board is saying that it’s touching. So I don’t know. I don’t know where I stand on it quite yet.
Madison Keys said at the press conference
Zverev still prefers this system over the lines people, and so does Sabalenka. The Belarusian, like Zverev, thought there was something wrong with the system during his match.
Madison Keys could face Iga Swiatek at the Italian Open
Madison Keys could set up an eighth career clash with Iga Swiatek if both of them progress to the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. In their seven meetings, the World No.6 was successful in beating Swiatek only twice: in the semifinals of this year’s Australian Open and the fourth round of the 2022 Cincinnati Open.
Swiatek, however, leads 4-0 against the 30-year-old in the clay-court events. Last year in Rome, Keys’ campaign was ended by Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Swiatek then went on to reach the final and beat Aryna Sabalenka to take home her third Italian Open title. Prior to 2024, she won the title in 2021 and 2022; while in 2023, she gave a walkover to eventual winner Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
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