WHAT HAPPENED: The past few months has seen a string of injury-fueled heartbreaks for American Madison Keys–but walking into the city of dreams, she seems to be turning the corner.
With a heavily taped left thigh–injured during her Wimbledon fourth-round match against Jasmine Paolini which she tearfully retired from back in July–the 29 year-old knocked out Katerina Siniakova in a scrappy straight-setter, 6-4, 6-1.
Siniakova, one of the world's best doubles players who's also currently sitting at a WTA singles ranking of No. 36, was no measly opponent. At the beginning of the first set the Czech, who downed defending US Open champ Coco Gauff earlier this year, hung tit-for-tat with Keys, never falling too deep in the hole and profiting off of a few early unforced errors.
It was the second set where the No.14-seeded American pulled away, speeding to an early lead before breaking Siniakova in the final game to commandingly nab the match-winning set, 6-1. Keys’ service game was barely crackable, being broken only once in comparison to the Czech’s five times.
“I knew just to try to weather the storm and just focus on my side of the court,” said an ecstatic Keys on court after the match, barely able to contain her smile.
The crowd in breezy Louis Armstrong Stadium was solidly on the side of the rebounding American, with chants of “Let’s go, Madi!” rippling through the rows between points and sets. They had reason for enthusiasm: This was the first match that Keys had completed since Wimbledon’s third round.
“It’s definitely the loudest, rowdiest crowd you can play in front of,” Keys said later. “I always love coming back to New York. ... Being an American playing in front of an American crowd, there’s really no feeling like that.”
After sustaining the hamstring injury in her following match in London, she passed up the Paris Olympics, and retired in her first match at the National Bank Open in Toronto earlier this month, her first tournament back.
WHAT IT MEANS: For Keys fans, the win is a promising step in the right direction on the road back from injury.
Looking down that road, she’s on a collision course with one of the tour’s biggest stars, with her seat in No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka quadrant of the draw tentatively setting the two up for a blockbuster fourth round showdown. Sabalenka was the woman to put a heartbreaking end to Keys’ US Open bid last year, knocking her out 6-0, 6-7(1), 6-7(5) in the semis.
Sabalenka isn’t an ideal opponent to catch mid-tournament–she defended her title in Melbourne this year, and is now looking to avenge a loss in the finals of last year’s US Open–and she is now the most serious obstacle between Keys and her fourth quarterfinal berth.
To reach that point, Keys will have to clear 18 year-old Australian qualifier Maya Joint next, and weather a third round matchup that could include former quarterfinalists in Belgian Elise Mertens and Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
MATCH POINT: The first round matchup marked the 10th US Open appearance for both Siniakova and Keys, who have also both won 20 tour-level main draw matches thus far in 2024.
