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16 Jan 2026 | 19.53
One year later, we are back to square one. The same place where Madison Keys reached the sky in 2025 clinching a Grand Slam title that the circuit seemed to have denied her. Now comes the second part of the deal, where the American will fight to defend it.
As challenging as it is to win it once, returning the following year to repeat the feat is even more intricate. At 30, already assuming the role of a veteran, the Rock Island native will have to handle this type of responsibility for the first time, knowing that now people will not look at her with the same eyes as in 2025. The challenge remains monumental, but Madison Keys aims to shift expectations and face the tournament with composure and new goals. Will she achieve it? It's too soon to tell, for now, we can only listen to her words on this long Media Day at the Australian Open.
Return to Melbourne
"It feels great to be back in this place, I have incredible memories from last year, also a lot of success in this tournament in general. Good memories always come to me when I arrive here; the fans are amazing, so it's always my favorite place to start the year."
A year after her great triumph
"Looking back, everything I find seems amazing, I can't believe it. However, the reality is that I was very close to losing; I had to save some match points. There were many three-set matches, some ugly encounters, although maybe that is what makes the result taste even better. It's amazing to walk around this place, it's everything one dreams of, to be pinched and still be a Grand Slam champion. There's a really cool photo of me holding the trophy out there, this is something you dream of throughout your career, to see something like that."
New goals in 2026
"The goal was to arrive healthy in 2026 after being ill, although we finally had the weeks we desired. I needed this to get back to basics and train; I was eager to have a solid preseason to work on some things. One of my major goals this season is to push myself to feel a bit uncomfortable on the court, implement some things we are working on for the big moments. I try to strive to evolve and add more to my game; that has been my goal these months, trying to learn new things. Now the hard part is implementing it in matches."
Life continues as usual
"It's funny because everyone keeps asking me how my life has changed since then, but the truth is it hasn't changed much, just that now I have a cool trophy in my house. Many people come up to me and tell me that my final made them cry; I never thought I would have that impact. As an athlete, it's been great to see that impact on people; I always try to be very open and honest about what happens in sports, it was my way of humanizing this sport a bit more. In conclusion, the most important thing for me is that I was able to do it; I don't think you often see people crying with happiness for you."
Madison Keys and her trick to handle the pressure
"I'm trying to change my perspective on pressure, although it is true that this will be my first experience defending a Grand Slam. I try to embrace it and take it, not even all the things I experienced here last year were fun, but I accept it. I try to soak up all the things that have happened to me, the great ones and the not-so-great ones. It is still amazing for me every time I see my photo holding the trophy, so I'm sure I will be nervous when I step onto the court, although this has been happening to me my whole life. I'm really excited to have another new experience at this stage of my career."
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Keys: “Si miro hacia atrás, todo me sigue pareciendo increíble”
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