Madison Keys explained what she did at the end of 2024 that has contributed to her solid start to 2025.
The big-hitting American has now won her last six matches after her opening match at the Australian Open.
She defeated compatriot Ann Li in straight sets to advance to the second round at Melbourne Park, where she has reached the semi-final on two occasions.
Keys looks as though she is ready for another strong run at the first Grand Slam of the year, and that is due to some key decisions made in the offseason.
Madison Keys opens up on changes made in the offseason to prepare for 2025
Keys has suffered from several injuries throughout her career, and she is still searching for her first Grand Slam title. The 29-year-old has come close in previous years, as she did in 2017 when she reached that year’s US Open final.
In a bid to once again challenge for the sport’s biggest titles and climb back up the WTA rankings, Keys shed some light on what she did during the offseason that is really paying off now.
“We put in a lot of work in the off-season. I decided kind of to end my year a little bit early and kind of break it up into two little blocks,” she told reporters.
“Being able to have that time and really kind of actually make some tweaks and have the time to do that, I think, was really beneficial. Now it looks like it was a genius move, but at the time it was kind of, like, do we try to squeak out some more weeks?
“I just feel like when you are able to not only give yourself some just really good time at home to focus on things, but you just start the year really fresh.
“I think a lot of the changes, being able to actually implement them in matches, was my big goal for the beginning of the year. I feel like I’ve been doing it pretty well so far.”
Madison Keys says what she finds challenging on tour as she approaches 30th birthday
2025 is a special one for Keys as she will turn 30 years of age in February.
She has been on tour since 2009 when she made her debut aged 14, and has seen how the tour has changed during that time.
Keys assessed some of these changes and admitted one thing she is struggling with and she gets older.
“It’s getting to a point where I feel like everyone’s ball speed is pretty high,” she said. “Everyone moves really well.
“It just got to the point where it was, like, ‘OK, if I really want to stay competitive, I have to do something different, because my body is breaking down a little bit more.’
“I feel like everyone is catching up ball speed-wise. I can’t just hit people off the court every single match anymore.”
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