Madison Keys breaks down during press conference after US Open semi-final loss and receives support from tennis fans on social media
- Keys left the tournament on Thursday, leaving No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka
- The 28-year-old Illinoisan won the first set, but couldn’t find her way after that
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Madison Keys broke down in tears during a press conference after her semi-final loss at the US Open, leaving fans disappointed and rooting for her as she struggled to contain her emotions after the match.
On Thursday, the 28-year-old Keys lost in three sets to No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, who will face Coco Gauff for the women’s title on Saturday.
And after her defeat, Keys struggled to put her feelings into words when speaking to reporters, and as a result, she received support from tennis fans on social media.
“I think at the beginning of the tournament everyone would be very excited to be in the semi-finals. Right now it sucks,” Keys said, tearing up.
The Rock Island, Illinois, native won the first set 6-0 before finding himself on the losing side of the final two after two tiebreaks, 6-7 (1) and 6-7 (10-5).
Madison Keys fought back tears on Thursday evening after her loss in the semifinals of the US Open
Keys – ranked No. 17 – cried at a news conference after losing to No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka
Keys won the first set of Thursday night’s match 6-0 before losing two tiebreaks to Sabalenka
“Yeah, I just think it’s really possible to turn this into something positive,” Keys said before pausing for 10 seconds to hold back tears. ‘Yes, there is a lot to be proud of and there is still a lot of tennis to be played this season.’
When the press conference was over, Keys, number 17, cried a little more as she left the stage.
After coming out of the tunnel guns blazing, Keys won the first set 6-0 and led 5-3 in the second. She even served before the match.
Tennis fans on social media rallied around Keys after her brutally honest interview.
“It’s okay to be damn disappointed, to say this really sucks. Kudos to Mads,” wrote one user on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, rallied around Keys after her display of raw emotion
Sabalenka will take on crowd favorite Coco Gauff at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday
“What a tough loss for Madison. Some players are never the same after tough losses like this. I believe she will come back, and sometimes a coaching change is necessary. Female tennis players always cry on or off the court when they lose big matches, and that’s okay,” someone else tweeted.
“She did great,” another fan commented. ‘hard to lose, but this girl is a fighter.’
“The best I’ve ever seen her play and I’ve followed her career from the beginning. Nothing to be ashamed of. Hold your head high Maddy,” another person shared.
‘@Madison_Keys We are proud of what you have shown in recent days. You’ve proven that you’re still one of the best. Keep your heads up because there are many more wins ahead,” said another user.
Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open in January, will play Gauff, the No. 6 seed, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday.