Keys: "If winning a Grand Slam meant I had to change, it wasn't worth it"

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 8 Mar 2025 | 16.00

Madison Keys opens up in an interesting interview at Indian Wells 2025. Photo: Getty

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Madison Keys caused the first major surprise of the season by clinching her most important trophy at the 2025 Australian Open, where she also defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final, who was the top favorite. It has been a few weeks since her great triumph, and the American can now look back with some perspective on this turning point in her career, although with the focus on her next challenge: Indian Wells 2025.

"It was really emotionally exhausting. You're experiencing the highest and then you come home and everything suddenly ends. I was in a coma, trying to recover. It was an incredible achievement, I was very happy, but the emotional rollercoaster afterwards was a bit surprising," Madison recounted in an interview from the Californian desert with ESPN. "It's funny how many former players have told me: 'The existential crisis is totally normal'."

Firm in her convictions

"I've always wanted being a good person to be the main thing about me. I've always rebelled against the idea that good people couldn't be successful; I've always hated that story. I thought that if winning a Grand Slam meant I had to change as a person and become more mean or not so good, then it wasn't worth it because I don't want to change who I am just to achieve something that realistically, in five years, won't matter to anyone. I felt truly validated by the amount of support I received; it showed me that I am a good person. That is very important to me and almost more special than winning."

Her goal goes beyond trophies

"The goal is to win another Grand Slam, but the reality is that there are many very talented players, and it is very difficult to win one, so maybe it won't happen again, and that's okay. For now, my goal is to be really honest in managing my expectations and to continue focusing and doing the things I did really well, and just enjoy the process because honestly, the month of January in Australia was probably one of the most fun I've had on a tennis court."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Keys: "Si ganar un Grand Slam significaba que tenía que cambiar, no merecía la pena"

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