Madison Keys Makes Her Emotions Recognized After Sudden US Open Heartbreak — ‘A Little Bit Paralyzing’
Madison Keys walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium because the reigning Australian Open champion, carrying the burden of a whole nation’s expectations. Three hours and ten minutes later, she walked off surprised, her US Open over earlier than it actually started. Keys didn’t attempt to sugarcoat what occurred throughout her post-match interview. The 2025 Australian Open champion admitted that her nerves took management from the very begin of the match.
What Did Madison Keys Say Throughout Her US Open Press Convention?
When requested to explain what felt lacking from her recreation, she defined, “No, my warmup was superb. I simply really feel like from fairly early on within the first set, it was fairly obvious that I wasn’t taking part in nice tennis at present.”
Nevertheless, it was her subsequent response that exposed the true nature of her struggles. Keys added, “I really feel like at present I used to be simply, for the primary time shortly, the place my nerves actually received the higher of me, and it sort of grew to become a bit of bit paralyzing. I felt like I used to be simply gradual. I wasn’t seeing issues the best way that I needed to. Which I really feel like resulted in plenty of dangerous choices and lazy footwork.”
The strain of taking part in at house as a Grand Slam champion had been constructing, however Keys defined that the whole lot exploded throughout the match itself. “I believe it was most likely constructing a bit of bit. However the actuality is it often builds a bit of bit, such as you all the time sort of really feel first-round jitters, and because the day is getting nearer, feeling a bit of bit increasingly nervous… However I really feel prefer it’s extra than simply saying that, like I need to win, but it surely simply feeling like successful issues simply approach an excessive amount of.”
This marked her worst Grand Slam efficiency of the 2025 season. Keys had reached a minimum of the third spherical in each main event this yr earlier than arriving in New York. After capturing her maiden Grand Slam title on the Australian Open in January by defeating Aryna Sabalenka within the finals, she made the quarterfinals at Roland Garros earlier than falling to eventual champion Coco Gauff. At Wimbledon, Laura Siegemund knocked her out within the third spherical.
How Did the Match Unfold Towards Renata Zarazúa?
Because the sixth seed, Keys appeared to have issues beneath management early in opposition to world No. 82 Renata Zarazúa. She battled by means of a marathon first-set tiebreak, successful it 12-10, after which jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead within the second set.
Nevertheless, Zarazúa fought again to take the second set 7-6(3), organising a winner-take-all third set. The Mexican participant maintained her momentum and broke Keys at 6-5 to finish a shocking 6-7(10), 7-6(3), 7-5 victory that left the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in disbelief.
RENATA ZARAZÚA UPSETS NO. 6 MADISON KEYS 😮
It’s solely the second time within the final 30 years that an American lady seeded Prime 10 misplaced within the first spherical on the US Open. pic.twitter.com/phUc5GkRkX
— ESPN (@espn) August 25, 2025
The numbers inform the story of Keys’ struggles. She dedicated 89 unforced errors and 14 double faults, far outweighing her 46 winners. These errors piled up beneath the relentless strain of Zarazúa’s constant play and her personal mounting anxiousness about acting on house soil.
This marked solely the third time in 14 US Open appearances that Keys had been eradicated within the first spherical. The defeat was significantly surprising given her historical past of deep runs at Flushing Meadows, together with her runner-up end in 2017 and semifinal appearances in 2018 and 2023.
As an alternative of one other robust displaying at her house main, Keys discovered herself heading to the locker room with a bitter reminder. The expectations that got here with being each the Australian Open champion and an American taking part in on the US Open proved an excessive amount of to deal with when the lights had been brightest.
