Madison Keys has set up a first-time encounter against Victoria Mboko at the Adelaide International.
Keys won the Adelaide International for the second time in her career last year, which set her up for her first Grand Slam victory.
With a lot of pressure on Keys as she looks to defend her Australian Open title, she has decided to stick with the same schedule as she did last year.
After winning her first match of the 2026 Adelaide International, Keys has now set up a first-time meeting with Canadian Open champion Mboko.
Madison Keys explains what she is expecting from Victoria Mboko
Keys beat talented teenager Tereza Valentova, 6-4 6-1, to continue her 100% record at the Adelaide International and progress to the quarterfinals.
This means she has set up a clash with eighth seed Mboko, who Keys has never played a match against before.
When asked about playing Mboko in her post-match press conference, Keys revealed that she was actually looking forward to it, but admitted that she was aware of the upcoming challenge that she faced.
“I’m actually quite looking forward to it,” said Keys. “She is a very, very good player. Even before she won her title in Canada she was on some insane like 20-something match win streak. So definitely everyone’s kind of had their eyes out for her a little bit.
“It’s going to be a really tough match. It’s always really difficult playing some of these younger players who kind of just go for everything.
“It feels like they have no scar tissue yet, so they really just kind of swing for the fences. So it’s always a unique experience, having been on the other side for so long, now being on the older side of things.”
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Madison Keys suggests why she may have an advantage against Victoria Mboko
Keys’ first two matches at the Adelaide International this year have both been against teenagers, and while she has suggested that her opponents have nothing to lose, she also believes her experience may provide her with an advantage against Mboko.
“I think that experience definitely helps,” said Keys. “It’s one of those things where they’re obviously incredibly talented players, and at any moment can beat anyone.
“But I also remember being their age and learning so much from playing the older players when I had those kind of matchups. And whether I won or I lost, I learned so much from them.
“So I think, looking back, you think about how much you learned from each year on tour, and then being the veteran you get to have already experienced that.
“So I think it’s just one of those things where you definitely try to use your learning experiences to the best of your ability and kind of use that to the advantage. But at the same time, they’re also very good players, so tennis is tough that way.”
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Keys will take on Mboko for the first time in the Adelaide International quarterfinals on Thursday, January 15.
This is the same day that Keys will learn her fate as the Australian Open draw takes place ahead of her title defence.
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