Madison Keys’ season was abruptly curtailed at the year-end finals, where she was unable to progress beyond the group stage after defeats to Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova, and she was visibly unwell during her final match. The American was then replaced in the draw by second alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova. “I’m really disappointed to not be feeling my best and ultimately having to withdraw from the tournament. It’s a huge accomplishment to make it this far and I’m very proud of myself for doing that and having a great year. I hope to be back next year,” Keys said following her withdrawal in Riyadh.

However, in a recent episode of The Players Box podcast, the American offered a candid and upbeat assessment of her accomplishments, stating, “Yes, had a pretty good start to my year. I think the most matches I’ve ever won in a season, it’s the most points I’ve ever put on the board. I had a new career high, I was five in the world, and then Jess overtook me again, which is annoying, but whatever. Yeah, so I mean, obviously I started on a really big high, but also kind of a sneaky career year for me. And I made my goal of WTA finals again.”

This perspective underscores a season of remarkable resilience and breakthrough. Madison Keys’ assessment is backed by hard data; she indeed finished the year with a career-high ranking of World No. 7, a significant jump from her starting position of No. 21, and recorded 37 match wins. The crowning achievement of her year, was her long-awaited triumph at the Australian Open, where she captured her first Grand Slam title.

“I still really wanted to win a Grand Slam. I just wasn’t lying in bed at night thinking I’m a failure if I don’t win one anymore. At the end of the day, I want to win every tournament that I’m in the draw of. I feel like I’m getting a lot better with that being enough, and that being OK, and I can just play tennis. As long as I can continue to want to win matches and tournaments and not need them, then I think things will be good,” the American said after her Australian Open victory.

This victory was a testament to a new mental approach, achieved with the support of her husband and coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, and therapy, which helped her find peace and shed the pressure of needing to win a major. This mindset allowed her to play some of the best tennis of her career, culminating in a dramatic final where she outlasted the two-time defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5.

While her campaign in Riyadh ended prematurely, her reflection on the podcast highlights a player who measures success beyond a single tournament. However, Keys and other WTA stars also acknowledged the massive achievement that one of their peers achieved recently.

Madison Keys and fellow WTA stars chiming in support of Elena Rybakina

Aryna Sabalenka really put up a fight, but she just couldn’t get past Elena Rybakina’s solid serve. She had three chances to break in the first set and even had two set points at 5-4 in the second, but it just didn’t happen for her. What happened next was tough to watch, as the 2022 Wimbledon champion powered through the tie-break to clinch a solid 6-3, 7-6(6) victory.

As the dust settled on her year-end heroics, even her fellow competitors, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who battled alongside her on the same stage, couldn’t help but admire her. On The Players Box podcast, Pegula expressed her admiration, saying, “Someone ended their year very well. Rybakina won. She beat Aryna 6-3, 7-6 (0) in the (WTA) Finals.” Keys jumped right in, saying, “She had an insane couple of weeks,” capturing what everyone in the tennis world had seen.

Pegula then took on the role of statistician, analyzing the Kazakh’s impressive precision. She noted, “She hit 13 aces and won 67 percent of her first serves. She was serving like a joke.” Keys provided more context, pointing out the momentum Rybakina brought into Riyadh, saying, “She won Ningbo, she semied Tokyo, and then just won the year-end.” Pegula, still in disbelief, said, “That’s not bad. And then she went undefeated. She won undefeated and she wins $5.3 million. Wow!”

The huge payout caught everyone off guard, leading Keys to jokingly ask, “Are we jealous?” It was quite remarkable whatever the Kazakh accomplished in Riyadh. It’s not every day you see someone take down the unbeatable world number one, Sabalenka!