“There were times in matches when,” Madison Keys reveals the reason behind her long Grand Slam drought before the Australian Open
Madison Keys had a great turn around in her career from her loss in the US Open 2017 final loss to 2025 Australian Open win.
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Madison Keys (Image via X)
Newly crowned Australian Open champion Madison Keys is having the time of her life. The American sensation still seems to be on cloud nine after pulling off one of the most unexpected Grand Slam title wins ever.
Recently, Keys was invited to Andy Roddick‘s Served podcast. The 29-year-old was asked about her career transformation—from struggling to win Grand Slams to finally achieving her goal in Australia. She shared some interesting insights into her progress over the last 12 months.
I went through that thought process. During my young years, when I started to feel the nerves, I would almost start panicking a little bit. To me, it co-related with ‘How am I going to play well if I’m also nervous?’ The other players playing well weren’t dealing with the nerves. When the nerves hit, my brain and my body just separate. By talking to myself a bit more and more, I had the nerves but also was able to play good tennis. They are not mutually exclusive. Since I started working on it the past year, I started to get better and better.
Madison Keys said on Served With Andy Roddick podcast
Keys has had a remarkable turnaround in her career. Before her 2025 Australian Open victory, she had only played in one Grand Slam final, which was at the 2017 US Open. The 29-year-old lost to fellow American Sloane Stephens in that final and broke down in tears during the press conference.
In 2023, she faced another heartbreaking moment at Flushing Meadows, losing in the semifinals to Aryna Sabalenka. Once again, she struggled to control her emotions after the tough loss.
Madison Keys suffers huge setback after the Australian Open title win
Madison Keys won the Australian Open and moved into the top 10 in the rankings. She expected to play in more tournaments, but the ATX Open in Austin had to remove her from the draw.
Keys defeated top players Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne to win her first Grand Slam. Her victory pushed her to a career-high ranking of No. 7 in the world.
The ATX Open, a WTA 250 event, allows only one top-10 player unless the defending champion is also ranked in the top 10. Since Keys is now ranked higher, she can no longer participate. She had agreed to play when she was ranked No. 21, but American Jessica Pegula, now world No. 6, had also committed. Pegula will now take part in the tournament for the first time.
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Fahad Hamid
(695 Articles Published)