THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2026

Madison Keys

Press Conference

M. KEYS/A. Anisimova

3-6, 6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Madison, through to the second week. Feeling good?

MADISON KEYS: Yeah, so happy to be in another second week here at Wimbledon. A great first Centre Court appearance for me. All good things (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I didn't realize it was your first time on Centre. Congratulations.

MADISON KEYS: Thank you.

Q. Naomi was in here talking about how intimidating the walk out is. Did you notice anything in your experience?

MADISON KEYS: It's funny, just like all these years later when you do the whole walk and down the stairs, I was like, I've never seen this. I kind of kept looking around.

I don't know if I would say it was intimidating. It was just really fun for me to just kind of get to experience it for the first time. I really kind of just, like, took it all in. I was quite literally looking at every single picture on the wall the whole way down.

Q. Did it surprise you?

MADISON KEYS: I don't think it surprised me. It was just funny where I was like, I've never seen this before. This is so cool.

Q. What did you feel like was the difference in terms of how you were executing? Did you feel like you had to reset after the first set?

MADISON KEYS: I feel like kind of going into this match, it played out kind of how I expected it to. I kind of felt like it was really going to be whoever could get break point chances and just kind of capitalize on them as quickly as possible was probably going to be the one that was able to win the match.

We weren't going to have 45-ball rallies. I think it was just after the first set, I just felt like if I could get myself in a couple more of her service games, even just a couple of points, I feel like in the first set I think I had a break point chance, maybe one, but I felt like a lot of her service games I wasn't sort of putting any pressure on her. She was holding fairly easily.

So instead of trying to get, like, too big picture and make myself think like I have to break, it was really just, Let me see if I can get to 30 in the game, just so I feel like I'm getting in some of these games. I think kind of focusing on that helped a lot.

I just felt like after that, it was continuing to try to serve well.

Q. One thing you have experienced a lot is reaching the second week of slams. This is the 25th time you've done it in your career. Is that something you pride yourself on?

MADISON KEYS: It's something that I am incredibly proud of. I think it's kind of crazy that it's like this kind of number. I think if you told me when I was first starting my career it would still be happening now, I think that would probably be the thing I'm proudest of.

Just continuing to be competitive, continuing to be a part of, just someone that could go deep into a slam consistently, it's always something that I had as a goal when I was younger, to just be someone who could contend consistently.

I think the reality is also, having been in this position before, it only gets harder now. It's like this is kind of the first hurdle. Then it seems like every round from now is like its own mini tournament.

Q. Before you walked on Centre Court, Alex Eala won a big match. I think recently you guys are quite close because you invited her to your podcast. Can you talk a little bit about your thoughts on her achievement.

MADISON KEYS: I was obviously watching that match very closely because I followed it. I got to see pretty much all of it.

I mean, I think Alex played fantastic tennis. I, having been on the receiving end of Alex taking out some of the top players, know how good that she is. I know she can always be dangerous.

Watching her today, I think it's no surprise she's playing really good tennis. She had a great tournament, as well, in Berlin, taking out some more of the top players.

Very happy for her. I'm sure she's still quite excited.

Q. How do you think about her personality, what kind of girl she is?

MADISON KEYS: She's very funny. We had this ongoing joke, because in Miami we were in the same hotel. Her and her friend were talking, they were saying all these things in French. She didn't know I was behind her. Then she saw me and she got really embarrassed.

For the longest time, every time I would see her, I would say something in French to her. We would just have a little back-and-forth.

She's so sweet. She's just one of those tennis players that it seems like she's found her footing so quickly on the tour.

She obviously has a huge following. I think it's amazing to see how many more eyes she's brought to tennis and how she's handling that with, I mean, such amazing poise.

I'm just really impressed by her.

Q. You mentioned the Centre Court experience. Do you have anything sort of left that's not directly about winning something you haven't won yet on your tennis bucket list, something you haven't yet gotten to do in this sport that you'd like to do?

MADISON KEYS: Being on Centre Court here was one big one. I'm glad that I finally got to check that off of the list.

Oh, I don't know if I have any other ones. I feel like I've done a lot of the things. I don't know. Let me brainstorm.

Q. Did it surprise people when they heard you hadn't been on Centre Court?

MADISON KEYS: Everyone was shocked. Everyone was shocked. I was saying that to Max the other day, and he's like, You've been on Centre Court.

I was like, No, I haven't. I actually physically have not.

I actually said it to Laura a couple years ago. She was like, I can walk you down there.

I was like, No, no, no. I don't want to go out there until I'm playing a match out there (smiling).

Q. What were you like when you saw the order of play?

MADISON KEYS: I was so excited. I was texting our podcast group chat. I was like, Guys, I'm going to be on the Centre Court of Wimbledon. This is crazy.

Q. Has Jess been on there?

MADISON KEYS: I think she has. I feel like I've watched her on Centre before. Maybe on fake news? I feel like she has been.

Q. Playing Linda, I don't think you've ever played her before. Is it helpful to have played a big hitter right before you play another big hitter, or is that way oversimplifying things?

MADISON KEYS: I think in theory it definitely helps (smiling). Yeah, I mean, I think it's going to be similar in some ways, so at least I know kind of what I have ahead of me.

Like I said, at this point now, every match is its own tournament in a big way. I feel like the occasion changes things. She's been playing fantastic tennis.

I feel like it's going to be different in some ways just because I feel like Amanda hadn't had quite as many matches on grass and everything, versus playing someone like Linda, who's just broken into the top 10, won Berlin, beat a lot of really great players. It's going to be a little bit different in that way.

In the way you're saying, yes, at least I'm ready for the ball that's going to be coming at me.

Q. You've obviously done the Eastbourne-to-Wimbledon double quite a few times. How hectic are the days after you win the title, come here, train, play a match quickly. At what point do you feel you've adjusted to the conditions and you're here?

MADISON KEYS: I think every year that I've won the title in Eastbourne, I've had a Tuesday start, which has been really helpful. Just how it has happened.

You finish your match in Eastbourne, you cool down, do the pictures, then you pretty much just get straight in a car, drive here, get in Saturday night. Because I've always pretty much had that Tuesday start, I typically take Sunday off.

It's just like come in, you get your credential, you do the things on-site that you need to do. Then I get to use that Monday as the day to actually be on the grass and hit.

I think the only, we'll loosely call it downside, is you don't get to hit on the match courts. Your first match is you're feeling out how the match courts are actually playing.

I think it's just always been -- I've just always thought it was such an easy tradeoff, because I feel like grass, in particular, just because the season is so short, any matches you can get on the surface to feel a little bit more comfortable and find your way is so worth it. It just helps build your confidence.

I would almost always rather have that than feel like I really felt like I absolutely needed to hit on the match courts before the first round.