Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Keys sheds 'heavy burden' to fulfil teenage expectations

Written by 
Published in Tennis
Saturday, 25 January 2025 07:23

From a teenage prodigy to a tour stalwart with "gnarly" injuries, Madison Keys' road to Grand Slam glory has been long and complicated.

The newly-crowned Australian Open champion broke through on the WTA Tour when she was just 14 and was instantly tipped as a future major winner.

Now, a few weeks before her 30th birthday, the American has finally achieved her goal.

Keys capped an impressive run at Melbourne Park with a shock win over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's final.

"From a pretty young age, I felt like if I never won a Grand Slam then I wouldn't have lived up to what people thought I should have been," Keys said.

"That was a pretty heavy burden to carry around."

Keys' journey to the Melbourne title has not been easy.

In April 2009, aged 14 years and 48 days, she became the youngest player since Martina Hingis in 1994 to win a Tour-level match.

Six years later she reached the Australian Open semi-finals before going a step further at the 2017 US Open.

But Keys froze in her first major final. She won just three games against Sloane Stephens in a match she thought of "endlessly for the past eight years".

Although she has reached five other major semi-finals since, Keys has battled injury problems and dropped out of the world's top 50 in 2022

"I had to go through some tough things," said Keys, who will now rise to seventh in the world.

"It forced me to look at myself in the mirror and try to work on the internal pressure I was putting on myself.

"I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and my career, with or without a Grand Slam.

"I feel like letting go of that kind of internal talk gave me the ability to go out and play some really good tennis."

Read 65 times

Soccer

Lauren, Jrue Holiday invest in NWSL's Courage

Lauren, Jrue Holiday invest in NWSL's Courage

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLauren Holiday had done it all on the field.She retired in 2015 as...

Arena: Poch doesn't understand culture of USMNT

Arena: Poch doesn't understand culture of USMNT

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer United States men's national team coach Bruce Arena has crit...

Wrexham a 'circus,' says rival boss before clash

Wrexham a 'circus,' says rival boss before clash

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWrexham have been branded a "circus" by Charlton Athletic manager N...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Fredette, BYU great to 2024 Olympian, retires

Fredette, BYU great to 2024 Olympian, retires

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsJimmer Fredette, a college basketball star at BYU who went on to be...

Source: Pelicans hire Wizards' Weaver as VP

Source: Pelicans hire Wizards' Weaver as VP

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe New Orleans Pelicans have hired Troy Weaver as their senior vic...

Baseball

Mets targeting Alvarez, McNeil returns on Friday

Mets targeting Alvarez, McNeil returns on Friday

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and second baseman Jeff...

Phillies DFA Clemens, say no MRI for Sanchez

Phillies DFA Clemens, say no MRI for Sanchez

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Kody Clemens, a son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated