“I didn’t play my best tennis today and was disappointed.” Back in September 2017, Madison Keys was looking in a near-perfect form at the US Open. In her journey to the semifinals, she was invincible until she faced compatriot Sloane Stephens in the championship battle. Succumbing to the ‘final’ pressure, she committed 30 unforced errors, eventually losing 3-6, 0-6. The dream to win her first Slam was broken. Fast forward to 2025, and it was like a déjà vu moment for Keys. Once again, she looked in great touch, overcoming two top-10 opponents on her way to the final at the Australian Open, including former World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the semis. But this time, Keys didn’t let the pressure dictate her. She dominated the championship clash, and how!
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka couldn’t do much at the Rod Laver Arena against a fearless Keys, as the American beat the three-time Slam champion (3-6, 6-2, 7-5) to accomplish a longtime dream. Starting the season with a title win in Adelaide and then becoming a Major champion was really something. Keys finally let go of her insecurities, embracing confidence that led her to AO glory. That’s exactly what her compatriot Jessica Pegula believes might have worked for Keys this season.
Ever since she tied the knot with her husband and coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, Keys has been enjoying her life without stressing too much about her on-court disappointments. She entered the AO with the same mindset, trying to give her best without caring about the final outcome. And guess what? It worked wonders for her!
Pegula, who’s coming off her own title victory at the ATX Open last week, sat down for a press conference, dated March 7, ahead of her Indian Wells campaign. Interestingly, Keys beat her at the start of the season during the Adelaide International title clash. When asked about her takeaway from her compatriot’s Slam glory, the World No.4 revealed what struck her the most about Keys’ mentality throughout the Australian Open. “I think she even said she kind of let go of the fact that she didn’t need to win a slam to feel like she had a successful tennis career. I think just being happy in her personal life probably really helped her get to that moment of winning a title.”
Madison Keys USA mit dem Pokal, Trophäe, Siegerehrung, Presentation, Australian Open 2025, Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. *** Madison Keys USA with the cup, trophy, award ceremony, presentation, Australian Open 2025, Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Copyright: xJuergenxHasenkopfx
After winning the Australian Open trophy, Keys admitted in a media interaction how she “finally got to the point” where she was “proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without winning a Grand Slam.”
For Pegula, this exact mentality is the reason behind Keys’ incredible comeback. So much so that she ended up playing the best tennis of her life down under. “I think it was just a very nice, wholesome kind of inspiring moment, and it’s cool. I think in women’s tennis, we have a lot of those stories now where you see a lot of different stories and different journeys from different players, and I think that’s what makes it so interesting. Hers was definitely a nice one to see and something different to kind of start the year.”
While Keys may have made a great start to 2025 already, she’s still got the entire season remaining. After a month-long break, due to a leg injury that forced her out of the Middle East swing, the World No.5 is all set for a comeback at the Indian Wells.
Madison Keys looks to impress at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open
Madison Keys is competing at the so-called ‘fifth slam’ in Indian Wells this month. With an actual Slam to her credit now, she will look to repeat what she did back in Australia. However, it won’t be an easy ride. If you go by the stats, the 29-year-old has yet to find the ‘keys’ to her success at the BNP Paribas Open. The track record doesn’t paint a good picture ahead of her upcoming campaign.
In the last three editions of the tournament, her performance graph has dipped consistently. Back in 2022, Keys reached the QF stage before losing out to former World No.1 Iga Swiatek. The five-time Major champion ousted her with a brutal score line of 6-1, 6-0. Then, in 2023, she couldn’t even move past the R32 due to an injury and withdrew from the match against Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea. The latter was leading 6-1 when Keys withdrew.
Last season, too, the story remained unchanged. Keys failed to go deep after a second-round exit. Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva ousted her with a score line of 6-4, 6-1. This time around, though, she’s set to begin her campaign against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova on Sunday, March 8. It will be their third WTA face-off, with the h2h tally leveled at 1-1. Well, that makes it an interesting battle to watch out for.
Do you think Keys will carry the winning momentum from the Australian Open to the Indian Wells? Let us know in the comments below.
The post ‘Didn’t Need to Win’: Jessica Pegula Sheds Light on the Overlooked Factor Behind Madison Keys’ Grand Slam Success appeared first on EssentiallySports.