Player of the Day: Madison Keys

MATCH POINT: Madison Keys (USA) def. Paula Badosa (ESP) in the 2022 Australian Open fourth round.

Keys's Vitals

• Age: 26
• Birthplace: Rock Island, IL, USA
• Turned Pro: 2009
• Highest Ranking: 7 (10/10/16)
• Racquet: Wilson Blade 98 v8 (18x20) (Click to purchase on TennisPoint)

Madison Keys produced a punishing display against pre-tournament favorite Paula Badosa to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2019 at the Australian Open.

The American’s signature brand of power tennis has been firing on all cylinders in 2022. She signaled her intent early on by reaching the final in Adelaide at the start of the season, knocking out seeded players like Elina Svitolina and Coco Gauff along the way.

Keys carried the momentum into Melbourne, where she made her first Grand Slam breakthrough with a run to the semifinals in 2015. The former US Open finalist upset Sofia Kenin, the 2020 champion, in straight sets in the opening round, and she’s looked sharper with every round. She passed a big test against rising Spaniard Badosa, firing 26 winners and only 18 unforced errors to win 6-3, 6-1.

Currently ranked world No. 51, Keys is now 10-1 on the season. According to the American, it’s all about finding the right mindset to bring out her best tennis.

“My biggest mindset change is just trying to enjoy tennis, take some of that just internal pressure that I was putting on myself,” Keys reflected afterward. “It was honestly freezing me. I felt like I couldn't play at all.

“Just taking that away and putting tennis into perspective: that it's a sport, something that when I was little I enjoyed doing and loved doing it. I was letting it become this dark cloud over me.  Just trying to push all of that away and leave that behind last year and start fresh this year.”

Up next, Keys will take on reigning Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova for a place in the Australian Open semifinals.