Madison Keys secured her place in the fourth round of the Canadian Open by overcoming fellow American Caty McNally in Montreal. After dropping the first set 2-6, Keys rallied to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-3, setting up a meeting with Karolina Muchova. This victory marked a strong return to form for Keys following a challenging grass-court season.
Keys Shares Perspective on McNally’s Efforts During the Match
Following her hard-fought triumph, Keys spoke about McNally’s performance, highlighting her expected style of play. She said she wasn’t surprised by McNally’s approach, pointing out that McNally is a skilled all-court player who mixes her shots well. Keys acknowledged McNally’s recent resurgence after injury and noted her confidence-building string of victories in recent weeks.
Keys remarked,
“I don’t think I would say that she did anything that surprised me.”
She added,
“I think she’s a really good tennis player. I think she’s a very good all-court player as well.”
Keys emphasized McNally’s tactical use of slices and pace variation during the match and said,
“She’s also won a ton of matches the last couple of weeks, and I feel like no matter what level you’re doing that at, you’re just building your own confidence.”
She concluded her assessment by acknowledging the challenge, saying,
“I think I just had to kind of raise my level. Was going for a little bit too much too soon in the first set. But yeah, I was impressed with her, and I felt like I had to raise my level in order to get the win.”
Madison Keys Discusses Her Season’s Challenges and Physical Progress
Keys reflected on the difficulties she has faced throughout the season, sharing insights into her fitness and mindset improvements. She revealed that this year has involved the heaviest workload of her career, but she feels positive that her body is handling it well. Injuries have previously limited her consistency, so maintaining health has been a major priority.
Regarding her physical condition, she stated,
“Obviously, injuries have always been something that kind of hampered me season to season. So that was a really big goal of mine is to just try to bulletproof my body as much as possible so I could play these long matches and be able to bounce back the next day. So super happy about that.”
Keys also shared the mental battle she experiences during competition, explaining how finding the balance between aggression and caution has been a hurdle. She noted that earlier in her career, she sometimes became too tentative at crucial moments, playing overly safe tennis. However, after changing her racquet, her confidence and control have grown, enabling her to execute her strategy with more ease.
She commented,
“I think that the competitive side of things, it’s always tough because I think I’ve always tried to be a good competitor, but I think sometimes knowing when to go for things and when to kind of pull back was always where I struggled a little bit.”
She added,
“I definitely have a lot more confidence now, especially switching racquets, that I just have a little bit more control, and I can do the things that I want to do a little bit easier.”
Upcoming Challenge: Keys Prepares to Face Karolina Muchova
Keys will face Karolina Muchova in the next round at the Canadian Open. Their head-to-head record includes only one prior meeting, with Keys emerging victorious in Beijing in 2019. This matchup represents another test for Keys as she looks to build momentum and continue her successful run in the tournament.
Madison Keys Canadian Open victory not only signals her resurgence on the WTA Tour but also showcases her resilience and adjustments both physically and mentally after a difficult season start. Her win over McNally and preparation for Muchova underline her dedication to reestablishing herself as a strong contender in major events.