Keys: "It's the most united I've seen the players, it's time to do something"

Fernando Murciego | 9 May 2026 | 10.19

Keys: "It's the most united I've seen the players, it's time to do something." Source: Getty

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It seems like there is talk of nothing else, even though the issue is not new: players asking the Grand Slams to offer a higher percentage of prize money. Madison Keys, after debuting with victory in Rome, shared her point of view.

And it is important to listen to the words of Madison Keys, someone who at 31 years old knows perfectly well how the circuit works and how difficult it is to make a move on such relevant matters. The American surpassed her debut at the WTA 1000 in Rome yesterday, although she knew that her victory over Peyton Stearns would not take up much time in her press conference with the media. First, she stopped to explain the illness that prevented her from competing in Madrid, and then she delved into the revolution that is brewing within the locker room with the Grand Slam tournaments. Will the players manage to increase the percentage of prize money they receive? According to Keys, we may be closer than ever to this plan becoming a reality.

Victory in Rome after a bad experience in Madrid

"Winning today feels great, the experience in Madrid was very tough, so it is a pleasure to play tennis again. I thought a lot when I stepped on the court, remembering how I got sick in Madrid... what if I lost again in the first round? It was horrible in Madrid, I vomited like 20 times in a period of 15 hours, it was miserable. For two days I felt terrible, especially the first day. Then the recovery period was slow, I was super tired, could hardly eat, luckily that's all behind me now."

Possible players' boycott of the Grand Slams

"I was a little surprised by everything, to be honest, I wasn't so tuned into the issue. Suddenly I received many text messages: are you really going to boycott? In Paris? What are you talking about? It's great for me to see the top players speaking out in this way, taking the initiative, being vocal on issues that have always been issues but continue to be issues. I think it is very important for players to have a voice and a seat at this table to make decisions. Besides this, I have nothing more to comment, just that it's great to see how united the players are."

The same issue as always, but a different feeling

"This is the most united I've seen the players, I see that there really is a group of people who want to raise their voice, I think it's time to do something real. We have to defend our own, things need to change, let's say I am cautiously optimistic. Obviously, I hope all of this doesn't come to a point where we have to do something radical, but just seeing so many players so united leaves me with a very pleasant feeling."

Madison Keys training in Rome. Source: Getty

Why is it so hard to change something in tennis?

"In tennis, in general, it has always been very difficult to move the needle on any issue, this is because there are so many moving parts and pieces in the structure. Obviously, the circuits are owned by the players and the tournament, so you have to agree on anything that happens. Then there are the Grand Slams, which is very confusing because they belong to the ITF, but they are also governed by individual federations and such. That's how tennis is set up, that's what makes it so difficult to bring about any kind of change."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Keys: “Es la vez que más unidos veo a los jugadores, es el momento de hacer algo”