TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 24th of June. M. Keys d. M. Puig 6-3, 6-3. An interview with Madison Keys
Q. So this was an opponent who has beaten you a couple times. What was your mindset going in to the match?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, obviously she’s a great player and we’ve played a couple of times. She’s beaten me a couple of times.
But I was really just trying to go in and just stick to my game plan, not really worry about who is on the other side of the net.
Q. Physically at the end of Eastbourne were you feeling okay or feeling the effects of a tournament?
MADISON KEYS: I was actually feeling pretty okay. Other than the finals, I wasn’t on the court for super long matches or anything.
So I was still feeling pretty good. Then even on Sunday I was still on that high kind of, so nothing hurt. Everything felt great.
Then yesterday morning I woke up and I was like, Okay, now I’m a little sore.
But no, definitely nothing major.
Q. Is there a difference now knowing that, not that you did not know you could win a tournament, but just having been there, is there a whole different level of confidence?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, yeah. Obviously I’m feeling pretty confident, especially on grass right now. Just feeling like I can play entire tournaments and I’m actually able to go out and win.
That’s definitely a good feeling.
Q. Are the courts here different than how they felt in Eastbourne? When you started hitting yesterday, did it feel weird?
MADISON KEYS: It did. I can’t even really tell you exactly why they’re different. The ones in Eastbourne, I don’t know, felt like the grass was almost longer.
This almost plays more like a hard court.
No, when I was hitting yesterday I was kind of like, Oh, I don’t know what I’m doing.
No, figured it out.
Q. Is there a specific goal that you have kind of either the rest of year or just this tournament now that you’ve kind of established this high standard for yourself?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, honestly, there is not really an, I want to win three more tournaments or be top 10 or anything like that.
I know it’s a boring answer, but it’s really just understanding my game better and feeling like every time I’m out on the court I did my absolute best, and walking off the court and knowing that and being okay with that.
Q. Winning a title can feel like getting a monkey of the back or it’s a milestone you can finally check off. Are there other milestones that are like that, Oh, I want to get my first blah, blah, blah win?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think the first time I won a round at a Grand Slam it was kind of like that, kind of felt like that.
But then winning on Saturday, it was so much more than that. So as of right now, it’s definitely the biggest milestone of mine. If something else surpasses that, I will let you know. (Laughter.)
Q. Please do that. There wasn’t a radar clock on court today, so we didn’t know how fast you served. You were really serving hard in Eastbourne. Did you feel like it was up there?
MADISON KEYS: Honestly, I don’t really even know. I mean, I was surprised to hear how fast I was serving in Eastbourne. I really don’t ever feel like, Wow, I hit that really hard.
It’s usually, That felt like a good serve. But I would imagine they are similar because they felt similar, but who knows.
Q. You’re obviously a great hope for the future of U.S. tennis. Did you feel under pressure in that way?
MADISON KEYS: Not really. I mean, it’s great that I am one of those people. There is also a couple of other people who they’re saying the same things about.
For me, it’s just if I’m happy with how I’m playing and focused on myself, then it doesn’t really matter what other people are wanting from me.
Q. Have you ever practiced with Taylor or hit with her at all? How well do you know her?
MADISON KEYS: We used to share the same coach.
Q. Yeah. So you’re pretty familiar with each other’s games. Potentially could play in the next round.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah.
Q. What are your thoughts on that?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, obviously she’s playing great. She had an amazing French Open. We have definitely been close. We had the same coach for I think almost a year maybe. We hit together all the time. We both know each other’s games.
Haven’t really hit since b#b# I think she’s in Texas now.
Q. D.C. and Chicago.
MADISON KEYS: With Zina?
Q. Yeah.
MADISON KEYS: Since she’s moved we haven’t hit a ton, but congratulations, doing well, and things like that.
She hasn’t gone on yet, has she?
Q. She’s on right now.
MADISON KEYS: Okay, so we’ll see what happens.
Q. What is it about her ball that makes it so difficult? We’ve seen so many players when they first hit with Taylor they can’t read the ball. Is it just the lefty spin, or is there something else going on?
MADISON KEYS: She hits extremely heavy and she does have that lefty spin on it as well.
I feel like a lot of times if you’re playing a lefty you eventually get used to the spin of it, but it comes a little bit flatter. She hits it so incredibly heavy that I think that’s what is so difficult for people to return.
