With Coco Gauff leading the American charge at the French Open, it’s hard to deny she’s a clear favorite for the title this year. She’s been close before, finishing runner-up in Paris in 2022. At just 21, Gauff is showing some of her best tennis on clay, having made back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome this season. Another star on the rise is Madison Keys. She won her first Grand Slam against the World No. 1 this year and is making big strides again. Former American pro Chanda Rubin certainly thinks Keys is one to watch!
Now, with the French Open halfway through and round four underway, American players are setting new milestones. Eight Americans have reached the fourth round for the first time in the 21st century. The WTA lineup includes Gauff, Keys, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and Hailey Baptiste. That’s impressive!
On the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Chanda Rubin joined Tracy Austin, Steve Weissman, and Paul Annacone to discuss potential champions. While Coco seemed like a top pick, Rubin had her eye on someone else. She said, “I do think Coco has looked very good and I was so impressed with her forehand. The way she just accepted the challenge, hitting through the court on it, but in terms of just the competing, I was impressed with Madi.” Why?
Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 7, 2024 Madison Keys of the U.S. reacts during her fourth round match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Well, Madison Keys has been stepping up at Roland Garros. She sharpened her game after a slow start, saving three match points to battle past Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American clash between Grand Slam champions. That grit left the former pro impressed.
As Chanda added, “I thought that was such a tough match to get through against Sofia Kenin, who plays so well on the surface, and Keys again, just dug in, didn’t really think about the winning and losing, just executed, and for me, that was very impressive.” It’s true. The 30-year-old has not had an easy ride!
Keys took down Daria Saville and Katie Boulter in straight sets to set up a third-round match against Kenin. Sofia, who reached the 2020 French Open final after her Australian Open triumph, broke reigning Melbourne champ Keys in the seventh game and held off a late rally to snatch the opening set. The world No. 30, whose only previous win over Madison came on Rome’s clay six years ago, dug deep and used all her experience to stay in the hunt during a nail-biting second set.
But Keys, a former French Open semifinalist in 2018 and 2022, found her groove and leveled things up, only to fall behind again in the decider after a costly backhand error. Kenin looked set to run away with it at 3-0, but nerves crept in as she let her lead slip. Madison saved three match points in a dramatic tenth game and broke again, but Kenin held her nerve, clinching a memorable win to thunderous cheers on Court Suzanne Lenglen. What a rollercoaster!
Perhaps Madison might just break through and clinch her second Grand Slam in a row—who knows? But how does she feel about her next opponent?
Madison Keys opens up about facing fellow American in Round Four
Keys is showing real grit in Paris this year. The 30-year-old saved three match points to edge out former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and book her spot in the fourth round. Now, she’s set for an all-American showdown against Hailey Baptiste on Court Suzanne Lenglen this Monday, June 2.
After her win, Keys had nothing but praise for Baptiste: “I think Hailey is a great player. I think she has been a great player and she has found her form the past, I would say, year and a half for two years, but especially the past couple of months.” These two know each other well, having met three times on the WTA tour. Keys currently leads their head-to-head 2-1, with her latest victory coming at Indian Wells in 2024.
Baptiste is on fire at Roland Garros, making a statement with a dominant run. She kicked off with a solid win over Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, then moved past Japan’s Nao Hibino, and followed that up by beating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in straight sets to reach the fourth round. Keys is genuinely happy for her: “I am really happy for her to see all of the success that she is having, putting that all together and climbing up the rankings.”
But make no mistake—this match is going to be a battle. Madison knows it: “All that said, I think it’s going to be a really tough match. She is very talented. She has a lot of tangibles and knows how to mix up paces, but she can also all of a sudden absolutely crack the ball.”
With Madison Keys holding an impressive 80.64% win rate this season (25 wins out of 31 matches) and Baptiste at 15-11, the stage is set for a thrilling clash. Will Madison power through to the quarterfinals? Share your thoughts on it in the comments below!
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