Madison Keys Stopped Worrying About Profitable A Slam. Then She Went Out And Received One

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday January 28, 2025

Madison Keys needed to let go of her hopes and desires to realize them.

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After finishing her dramatic run to her maiden main title over the weekend in Melbourne, the American talked concerning the tough strategy of coping with expectations and making sense of her personal emotions with regard to her profession.

Keys, who edged World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s closing, made a number of modifications to her sport, most notably her serve, and in addition modified racquets and strings within the low season.

However she additionally noticed a therapist, and he or she says that it was one of many issues that helped her actually unlock her greatest self.

“I lastly obtained to the purpose the place I used to be personally low sufficient that I used to be like, I do not actually care if this helps me carry out, I simply wish to really feel higher,” Keys mentioned of her remedy periods, which weren’t actually sport-specific.

Keys mentioned the remedy helped result in a lightbulb second that allowed her to handle her nerves higher than ever earlier than.

“For no matter purpose, it was form of identical to this gentle bulb second the place I began actually shopping for into, I might be nervous and I can nonetheless play good tennis. These issues can stay collectively,” she mentioned. “So I finished combating, attempting to push away the emotions and pretending that they are not there and simply accepting them and actually telling myself that they are advantageous and so they’re completely regular to be there, and I can nonetheless play tennis.”

Greater than something, Keys made strides in her personal thoughts, and eventually accepted her profession for what it was. There wasn’t a Grand Slam title on her resume, however did it actually matter? She determined that her profession was distinctive, with a Slam or with out..

“I believe all the things form of occurs for a purpose,” she mentioned. “I believe for me particularly, I form of needed to undergo some powerful issues. I believe it simply form of compelled me to have a look at myself within the mirror slightly bit and attempt to work on [dealing with] inside stress that I used to be placing on myself.

“From a fairly younger age, I felt like if I by no means gained a Grand Slam, then I would not have lived as much as what individuals thought I ought to have been. That was a fairly heavy burden to form of carry round. So I lastly obtained to the purpose the place I used to be pleased with myself and pleased with my profession, with or with no Grand Slam. I lastly obtained to the purpose the place I used to be okay if it did not occur. I did not want it to really feel like I had profession or that I deserved to be talked about as an amazing tennis participant.

“I really feel like lastly letting go of that form of inside discuss that I had simply gave me the flexibility to truly exit and play some actually good tennis to truly win a Grand Slam.”