AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2026

Madison Keys

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Maddie, welcome back to the Australian Open as the defending champion. How does it feel coming back as defending champion? How have your preparations been?

MADISON KEYS: It feels really great to be back. Obviously amazing memories from last year. Also just lots of success at this tournament. So always have really great memories from here. Amazing fans.

It's always my favorite place to start every year.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Questions, please.

Q. Do any emotions or particular moments from last year as you walk back on the grounds? Does anything ping in particular? Is it just the glow of being back here?

MADISON KEYS: I think you look back and it's kind of easy to be like, Wow, everything was amazing, I can't believe it. But also you think about, like, Wow, I almost lost. I was match point down.

So many three-set matches. There were some ugly matches. I think it kind of just makes everything a little bit better just because it wasn't issue-free (smiling).

But, I mean, it's really just incredible to walk around. It's really just so kind of a pinch-me moment where you dream of being a Grand Slam champion when you're a little girl, then being able to come back... .

There's a really cool photo of me holding the trophy. Getting to see those, it's something you dream of in your career. Then being able to experience it is really fun.

Q. What was the approach to the off-season? Were you feeling excited? Nerves?

MADISON KEYS: I was kind of able to get healthy. Obviously got sick at the Finals. Really just kind of had however many weeks we ended up having.

But just to kind of get back to the basics and train. I was really looking forward to having just a solid off-season where we could kind of work on some things.

One of my big goals this year is to kind of force myself to be a little bit uncomfortable on court and try to actually implement some of the things we're working on, as uncomfortable as those are in those big moments (smiling).

I'm really trying to push myself to kind of evolve and add more things to my game. That's really just been my goal all off-season, is trying to learn new things. Then now the hard part of actually putting them in matches.

Q. You were obviously asked a lot of questions instantly after it happened last year. Can you reflect on how that Grand Slam win changed your life and even your mindset going into this year's tournament?

MADISON KEYS: You know, it's funny, everyone keeps asking me how my life has changed. It hasn't changed that much, other than I have a really cool trophy at home. I have a lot of people that come up to me and tell me winning made them cry. I never thought I would have that ability.

I think it's just really been cool as an athlete to have had that impact on so many people. I've always tried to be very open and honest with everything that goes on in the sport, kind of do my part of humanizing this part of the sport.

I think for me, the biggest thing that I feel like is a huge takeaway is I was able to do that. I don't think very often in sport you see that you have the ability to make people cry happy tears (smiling).

Q. You have been on tour for a long time before you won this major. It's a new experience for you. What has it been like having that on your résumé? Also the anticipation being back as a defending champion for the first time. A lot of different players that had this experience talk about it's pressure they've never had before. How are you handling that? You have a lot of general tennis experience to draw from. This is a new wrinkle in some ways.

MADISON KEYS: I think the thing that I'm really trying to kind of change my perspective on the pressure, I guess, is that even though I've been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as that.

I'm really trying to just kind of embrace that and take it in and soak it in, because I feel like so often we look back and we regret that, even in the hard moments that were stressful and pressure and all that, we didn't find all the fun parts of it.

I'm really just trying to soak in all of, like, the really cool fun parts, like walking in and seeing a picture of me holding the trophy. I could never have dreamed of that happening.

Yes, I'm sure going on court I'm going to be very nervous, but I don't think I've ever walked on court first round of a Grand Slam and not been nervous, so...

I'm really just excited for another new experience at this point of my career.

Q. Have you seen your name in the tunnel yet?

MADISON KEYS: I have not seen my name in the tunnel yet. I hope I can go in there when there's no one else so I can, like, take a picture and send it to my mom.

I've always kind of remembered walking through that tunnel and seeing all the names and everything. It was a little bit of a pinch-me moment where I was like, Wow, I'm going to be up there.

Q. Have you caught up with the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City?

MADISON KEYS: I get to catch up a little bit. I have a few more episodes of their Greek trip, and then the reunion. I'm really excited. I have to wait for a time where my husband's not watching because he can't handle the fighting. I find it very soothing.

I try to watch it before bed. He hates it. I'm trying to find a little quiet time, like four hours, where I can just binge it all.

Q. Where do you fall with the clear battle lines being drawn?

MADISON KEYS: You know, I feel like it really just depends on the episode where I end up. I really feel as though they're all just doing their part to give us the best entertainment. They're doing it well.

I feel like I don't even want to pick sides because I just hope that they continue to be the people that they are (smiling).

Q. Have you been catching up on Traders, as well?

MADISON KEYS: I've never watched it. Someone tried to explain it to me. I feel like I should get into it. I'll watch that next (smiling).

Q. Back to tennis... A bit of a bigger-picture one. There's been a player push with the Grand Slams around a greater revenue share, welfare benefits, these types of things. How do you think that's going? What is your reaction to the way AO has responded?

MADISON KEYS: I think that I completely see the player side of obviously wanting the slams to kind of step up and support player welfare. I think it's really important. We obviously give a lot of ourselves to this sport.

They, being the highest revenue holders, I think it absolutely makes sense. As we are the product, it makes sense for us to be partners.

I think that it has been the most productive conversations that we've ever had, which leads me to be carefully optimistic I think for the future (smiling).

But I really think it's in everyone's best interest to continue to be really good partners to each other. We all need each other. We all want to try to do whatever we can to support each other.

I'm, like I said, cautiously optimistic.

Q. One year into marriage, what went well in year one? What are we looking to improve moving forward?

MADISON KEYS: What went well? Well, we got to travel a lot. Super fun. We won a Grand Slam together. Also very fun.

What we are trying to change? My husband has threatened that if I try to renovate any more parts of our house, I will be thrown out of our house, which is fair because for the last two years, I think it's been 18 months of construction at our house. He's asked me to at least take like a year break, which I feel is like fair. I feel like that's part of marriage allegedly, is compromise. We'll see if that actually happens. There's one more bathroom that I could quickly renovate, so...

Yeah, it's been absolutely amazing getting to travel together. This life can be so hard and stressful and isolating. Being able to get to work together, travel together, actually see each other, has been a huge blessing.

Thank you.