THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 30, 2025

Madison Keys

Press Conference

M. KEYS/E. Ruse

6-7, 7-5, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Madison, feel good that first win under your belt?

MADISON KEYS: Yeah, tricky match today, but happy to get the win. Sometimes that's just being tough and being able to get the win is all that really matters. Happy to see another day here at Wimbledon.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You also played Ruse in an early round match at the Australian Open earlier this year. Can you draw any comparisons between this match today to that match?

MADISON KEYS: Both obviously were very close and tough matches. I went into the match kind of expecting a tough match. I think she's a really great player. I think matchup-wise it's just kind of one of those matches where we can have tough battles.

Yeah, definitely a lot of similarities, but happy that I got the final set in both of them.

Q. Frances was in earlier saying it wasn't that hot compared to the States. What do you think?

MADISON KEYS: Didn't Frances play first on when it was the coolest part of the day (smiling)? Everyone's entitled to an opinion, even if it's wrong, but...

Q. Do you feel he was exaggerating it?

MADISON KEYS: I mean, it's not cold out. Like, it's very warm. I think it's funny coming from the States, because this is quite literally a very typical summer day. It's funny that it's a heat wave.

I think the difference in the States is that I go into my house, and I have to put a sweatshirt on because my AC is absolutely pumping. I fill my giant Stanley full of ice. So there are lots of ways to cool off.

So I feel like here it's funny because I always feel like it feels warmer than it is here, because there's not a lot of ways to actually cool off.

Q. What was it like late in the third set where you're seeing her getting sick on the other side? What is going through your head?

MADISON KEYS: I feel like at that point it was pretty apparent that she was having some physical issue. So I felt like at that point I was just trying to focus on my side of the court.

I felt like earlier in the match I was getting a little bit too distracted with kind of paying attention to what was happening on that side of the net. Really just tried to honestly kind of block it out and pretend it wasn't happening.

Q. American tennis is so dominant again, especially on the women's side. How does it feel to be a huge part of that? How do you think you and Coco can also inspire the men to even grow in their results?

MADISON KEYS: I feel like the American women have been probably inspiring the men for a while. I can't really think of a time the past 20 years where U.S. women weren't doing incredibly well. Granted, we had the Williams sisters for a long time leading that charge. There were also a lot of great American women constantly in the top 20, 10, 30.

So it's great to see kind of we've all leveled up a little bit more where there's so many of us in the top 10 again and top 15. It's awesome to see.

I think the men are inspired and they want to try to keep up, so... It's really great to see all the guys doing really well.

Q. Do you have that conversation sometimes maybe in a practical joke?

MADISON KEYS: I don't think we really have those conversations. I think it's more so just, like, trying to tell them to keep up.

Q. Did you feel there was a lot more crazy stuff happening in that match than usual from her underarm serve to your shank serve that was nearly a winner, to running to the net at the end? A lot of unusual things happening. Do it feel more unusual than usual?

MADISON KEYS: Definitely a lot of crazy things happening out there today. I feel like once you have one or two of those things happen, you kind of just assume that there's going to be lots of them.

Especially after the underhand serve, I was kind of waiting for something else wild to happen. It's just one of those days where you kind of know anything goes, and you just have to be ready for everything.

But yeah, happy that I was able to rebound after the ball that bounced back over the net (smiling).

Q. There's probably an assumption that after you win a major, your mindset changes when you go to other majors. What, if anything, is different for you after having won one?

MADISON KEYS: I don't think that my mindset has changed that much. I think that the pressure to finally win a slam, obviously I finally did it, so that pressure is lessened.

But I think as a typical tennis player, you kind of change into, Well, now I want to do that again. You just kind of go into the next slam knowing that you want to win that slam.

So I don't think it changes a whole lot. I think the only thing that changed for me is finally just the pressure of 'will I ever win one' kind of went away.

Q. Were you aware that basically you have 100% record at Wimbledon when it comes to first-round matches? You've never lost a first-round match at Wimbledon. How significant is that to you?

MADISON KEYS: I was interviewed by two boys the other day. They told me that. I didn't know. So I was a little bit nervous today. They were putting a lot of pressure on me to keep that streak alive (smiling).

It was kind of in the back of my head that I wanted to keep that going. But yeah, I mean, it's something that I'm really proud of to say I've always won my first round here at Wimbledon.

Q. Do the early rounds of these tournaments in any ways get harder as you get better and get more experienced, because they can be kind of nervy and tight and everyone is starting from zero, or does experience really sort of help and it doesn't feel nervous at all?

MADISON KEYS: I think the first rounds are always some of the most nervy matches. It's where you see a lot of upsets in tournaments. You don't typically see the top, big players getting upset in the second week.

It's usually the first couple of rounds I think just because there's a little bit more pressure, and everyone is just trying to kind of find their play and get more comfortable in the draw.

I mean, the first couple days of the slam is always the most nerve-wracking for all of us.

Q. If there was the option, hypothetically, quarters, semis and finals would be best-of-five, would you be interested in that?

MADISON KEYS: No.

Q. Not at all?

MADISON KEYS: Why would I want to do that (smiling)?

Q. You didn't watch the men's Roland Garros final, to be involved in a match that epic would be amazing?

MADISON KEYS: No. Did you see how tired they were at the end? Five-set matches can go five hours. That's crazy.

No, you watch women's matches, there have been so many three-set matches that have been epic, amazing and have so much drama. My match today was full of drama. I don't need another two sets of that.

Q. You had some epic matches in Australia. Because they're best-of-three, not five, there's a cap where they will be placed in the pantheon of great matches.

MADISON KEYS: I think the problem with comparing them to men's matches is I believe that women's tennis and men's tennis are different sports. I think when you constantly try to compare them to each other, you're doing a disservice to both sports.

So I don't think that you compare an epic three-setter women's match to an epic five-setter men's match. I think those are two separate things. That's my view at least.

I've never looked at an epic three-set women's match and been like, Man, if they only went two more sets to compete against the men.

Q. You're mentioning how close and epic the match today was. You were up 5-4 serving for the second and third sets both sets. How were you able to put those moments behind you when you lost that break up in both of those sets?

MADISON KEYS: I think the first thing that kind of popped into my head was that I had broken her early in both sets. I had gotten close and had looks again. I knew that I had opportunities on the return game.

Also just kind of know that wasting your time and being upset that you didn't close out the match, all of a sudden you're going to be down Love-30 and things are going to be a lot harder.

Trying to be really quick about letting it go and moving on.