At age 28, Madison Keys is harnessing power and posting results reminiscent of her highest career peaks more than half a decade ago.
But perhaps her true peak is ahead of her?
The American, playing in a 10th major quarterfinal, advanced to a sixth major semifinal after overwhelming reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.
Keys is now within two match wins of a first Grand Slam title.
In back-to-back matches she has beaten in-form players Liudmila Samsonova and world No.3 Jessica Pegula – the Montreal finalists – before snapping the Czech’s 11-match Grand Slam winning streak.
Vondrousova, who earned nine break-point opportunities but could not convert any, was shell-shocked by Keys’ power in her first meeting with the American.
WIMBLEDON CHAMP VONDROUSOVA: “It was the most impossible Grand Slam for me to win”
“Today I felt like I was under so much pressure from the first point,” Vondrousova said.
“The power, you know, it's so fast. If you play to the forehand or to the backhand, it doesn't matter. I feel like you don't know where she's gonna play.
“I feel like she's feeling great here. She had the support. I mean, it was really like I couldn't do much today.”
Keys is the second American woman – and third American overall – into this year’s US Open singles semifinals. Yet the 28-year-old has progressed quietly while younger compatriots Coco Gauff, 19, and Ben Shelton, 20, have captured headlines in New York.
“Honestly, it's been great. I love that none of you talk about me anymore. I don't have press requests. It's a lot off of my plate,” Keys joked.
Keys was once that prodigious American rising star.
As a teenager, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Australian Open 2015.
The following season she hit a career-high ranking of world No.7, in October 2016.
Her one Grand Slam final appearance came at the US Open in 2017. There she lost to Sloane Stephens, who slipped a note of encouragement into her locker ahead of the Vondrousova match.
Keys’ previous US Open semifinal run came in 2018. Season 2018 was also the last one in which Keys reached multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals – until this year.
“I think I have had just a really good mindset going into the matches,” Keys explained of her recent upswing.
“I think in the past, just having kind of more of the highs and lows leading into the matches and getting a lot more nervous and things like that has ultimately led to either being more tired the next round or things like that.
“The last couple of months I have been just pretty even-keeled, and being able to consistently do that day in and day out I think leads to good things.”
By reaching the 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinals, and now the US Open semifinals, Keys has reminded everybody just how potent she can be on the Grand Slam stage when her power game ignites.
Speaking of potent, her next opponent is Aryna Sabalenka, who like Keys is building an extremely impressive Grand Slam CV.
The reigning Australian Open champion and new world No.1 has now reached five successive Grand Slam semifinals; she beat breakthrough Chinese star Zheng Qinwen by exactly the same scoreline Keys posted against Vondrousova.
Sabalenka also stopped Keys in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, winning 6-2 6-4 – although Keys had her chances when she led by a break in the second set.
Perhaps it is better for Keys to be facing Sabalenka at this point?
The Belarusian is notoriously brittle in major semifinals, winning just one of the six she has played.
In this year’s Roland Garros semis, she held a 5-2 third-set lead, and a match point, before losing to Karolina Muchova. She led Ons Jabeur by a set and a break at the same stage at Wimbledon, and also lost. Last year at the US Open, she led Iga Swiatek 4-2 in the third set of their semifinal, and lost that too.
“I think she's obviously a phenomenal tennis player. There is a reason she's going to be No.1 on Monday. She has a ton of power. She serves really well,” Keys said, before turning her attention to her own strengths.
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“I have just kind of peaked at the right time, I guess. I haven't had too many, like, disappointing exits at Slams.
“I feel like when it comes to Slams, I'm just able to kind of find another gear.”