WHAT HAPPENED: American Madison Keys heads into the third round of the US Open for the seventh time in her last eight tournament appearances, a 6-4, 6-0 winner over 18-year-old qualifier Maya Joint of Australia in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Joint, who was making both her tour-level and Grand Slam main-draw debut this week, had never faced a Top-50 opponent before Wednesday’s second-round clash. The 135th-ranked baseliner, a University of Texas recruit, had advanced through three rounds of qualifying before dismissing Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the opening round of the main draw.
“I’m definitely really happy with how I played that match today,” said Keys, who retired with a leg injury in her previous two tournaments (Wimbledon, Toronto). “I feel like she came out playing really well. It took a little time to get used to her ball, but once I figured some things out, I was happy how I was able to keep the momentum going.”
Keys, 29, struck first in the 37-minute opening set, making good on her third break-point opportunity with Joint serving at 3-all. The 14th seed would open the second set with another service break and never look back. She hasn’t lost to a player ranked outside the Top 100 since falling to No. 138 Kayla Day at Roland Garros in 2023.
WHAT IT MEANS: Keys’ year was looking promising: An upset of countrywoman Coco Gauff en route to the semifinals in Madrid; a quarterfinal finish in Rome; a WTA 500 title in Strasbourg; another semifinal in Eastbourne. But a mid-match hamstring injury against Jasmine Paolini at Wimbledon resulted in a tearful Round of 16 exit and a summer full of rehab sessions. Though still sporting tape on her left thigh, the 2017 US Open finalist appears to once again be playing freely.
“I think that’s the reality of the sport sometimes,” said Keys. “As much as you want everything to go perfectly to plan, it usually doesn’t. You just kind of have to have some perspective and know what to expect from yourself.”
Next up for the world No. 14 is 33rd seed Elise Mertens of Belgium, a 6-3, 6-2 victor over Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. The American leads their head-to-head 3-1, though Mertens claimed their most recent encounter last summer in the first round of the Cincinnati Open, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
MATCH POINT: Making her 13th main-draw appearance at the US Open, Keys has reached the finals once (l. to Sloane Stephens in 2017) and semifinals twice (2018, l. to eventual champion Naomi Osaka; 2023, l. to Aryna Sabalenka).
