Madison Keys opened up about managing expectations after winning her first Grand Slam title this season.
For most of her career, Keys had one primary goal: winning a major title. She came close in 2017 when she reached the US Open final but lost to Sloane Stephens, 3-6, 0-6.
Eight years later, when it seemed the 30-year-old American might not win any Grand Slam titles, she proved everyone wrong with a sensational run to the trophy at the Australian Open.
Unfortunately, Keys hasn’t competed since her Australian Open victory, as she struggled with an injury that kept her out of the Qatar Open in Doha and the Dubai Championships.
She returned to the courts at the 2025 Indian Wells Open, where the Australian Open champion beat Anastasia Potapova and Elise Mertens in her first two matches.
This is Keys’ first tournament as a Grand Slam champion, so it’s no surprise that she faced many questions about her success in Melbourne.
Currently, the WTA World No. 5 is on a 14-match winning streak. After defeating Mertens, she was asked whether she was surprised by her ability to follow up on her Australian Open win despite the expectations.
“I don’t think I’m surprised. It’s just something different, for the first time that I’m dealing with and trying to manage my own expectations. I think today, obviously, I don’t think I played at my best level, and I think that was more frustrating just because I’m starting to expect a little bit more of myself. So just trying to navigate that. But, I mean, obviously, it’s a learning experience, and it’s a good position to be in.”
Managing expectations after a significant win is understandable, and as Keys noted, it’s a positive challenge.
This mindset can help her elevate her game further. She explained that she now has higher expectations for herself, recognizing her capability to win major titles.
“I think it’s just you start to expect a certain level from yourself. I think overall, in Australia, I played some really good tennis, and I think the further away from it you get, the more you kind of forget about the lulls of matches and the moments where you weren’t playing great, and you kind of just remember all of the really great, fun stuff.”
“So I think it’s also just having a good grip on reality, and that sometimes, as great as Australia was and all the wins that I got, there were still some moments in matches where I didn’t play great or things got away from me. So just being really conscious of that.”
Keys now prepares for her fourth-round match in Indian Wells. She could have faced compatriot Emma Navarro, but with Navarro’s loss, Keys will instead compete against Donna Vekic.
