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Calm State of Mind Unlocked Keys' Game in Cincy


You’d think it would be the world-class power game, or the serve, or improved footwork that would get tabbed as the key reason for Madison Keys’ breakout result at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Wrong.

It was expectations—or lack thereof.

After winning her biggest career title by taking out her fourth former Grand Slam winner on a balmy day in Cincinnati, Keys talked about her game, her evolution, and her hopes for the remainder of 2019.

“I think I have known what I need to do in order to play good tennis,” Keys told reporters after her 7-5 7-6 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova. “It's more how to put that all together and how to, you know, keep my emotions in check the entire time. I thought I did a good job of that this week.”

Keys knocked off household names like they were sitting ducks over the course of her fifth career title run. It started with a three-set triumph over Garbiñe Muguruza, then really picked up steam when Keys snapped a five-match losing streak against World No.4 Simona Halep. From there Keys surged, notching straight-set victories over Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin and Kuznetsova in the final.

“I don't know,” she said. “I think I was just really calm. I just let myself go out there and play, you know, however I could play that day. I kind of dropped the expectations on myself a little bit.”

When a reporter wondered if she felt she had turned a corner, she replied: “I hope so.”

The American isn’t over the moon about this latest title, and that’s a good thing. It means she intends to ride this momentum all the way to the later stages of the U.S. Open.

“I'm obviously really happy and really proud of myself,” she said, adding: “It's definitely more of a building block. I want to do well in New York, and I want to have a good end of the season, so taking a lot of positives from this week. Just trying to reel it in a little bit.

Keys said she is already turning her focus to bigger things. The 2017 U.S. Open runner-up craves another shot at the bright lights of New York City, and she made that clear in press.

“I think I love New York honestly just because even in moments in the last couple of years where I have been down and out I have had such crowd support that they have helped me so much,” she said. “Honestly, some of my favorite matches that I have ever played have been those late Ashe matches. I think I just have really thrived in that environment.”

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