Wimbledon season is here, and the lush lawns of the All England Club are set for battle starting June 30. With the draws officially locked for both WTA and ATP, the stage is set for titanic clashes. For American fans, hopes ride high as top names like Madison Keys, fresh off her Australian Open triumph, and Amanda Anisimova land on the same side of the draw, keeping the dream of a Wimbledon title alive. But here’s the twist: since Serena Williams last roared to victory, no American woman has lifted the trophy. And now, even a former US champion, Andy Roddick, is backing a non-American to reach the finals, leaving Keys and Anisimova out of his picks.

Just hours ago, Andy Roddick lit up the “Served” podcast with his Wimbledon WTA predictions, unveiling his personal bracket, aptly titled “Andy’s WTA Bracket.” As he dissected the draw, the American first locked in on the half featuring Madison Keys, the reigning AO champion, alongside Amanda Anisimova, Linda Nosková, Diana Shnaider, and Elina Svitolina. 

While breaking down the route to the semis, he said, “I got Amanda Anisimova to the semis up top. I don’t like—I hate my picks,” he admitted, only to later ditch his fellow Americans entirely, declaring, “I got Sabalenka in the final over Anisimova in the semis.”

Roddick didn’t hold back on how chaotic this draw felt. “This could be the least confident I’ve ever been in any half of any draw that we’ve ever done. This is a disaster. Close up, let me look, my draw is a dumpster fire,” he joked. Still, the former number one powered through, naming names and placing bets: “I got Linda Nosková, Anisimova—Anisimova through. Diana Shnaider, Kateřina Siniaková—Shnaider is going through. Anisimova over Shnaider. Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Donna Vekić, Keys, Saba—Keys, Saba through to the final.”

As for Madison Keys, her journey post-Australian Open win hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. She reached the QF at Roland Garros but was edged out by Coco Gauff, despite taking the 1st set. Her grass-court campaign looked promising with a semifinal run at the HSBC Championship, but she stumbled again in Berlin, losing in the R16 to 25-year-old Markéta Vondroušová.

Now returning for her 11th Wimbledon main-draw appearance, Keys is chasing a second major title this season. She’s reached the quarterfinals at SW19 twice before, in 2015 and again in 2023, but will need to summon something deeper to finally break through. Alongside Gauff and a crop of rising stars, she remains one of the prime contenders to end America’s GS drought at the All England Club since Serena Williams last triumphed there in 2016.

Though Roddick’s loyalty lies with Sabalenka this time, Keys isn’t just here to play; she’s here to fight. And when asked about her secret weapon heading into Wimbledon? She didn’t hesitate. 

Madison Keys reflects on her inspiring tennis journey

Just a couple of weeks ago, Madison Keys punched her ticket to the 2nd week of Roland Garros, a place she’s no stranger to, but one she hadn’t reached often in recent years. Though she made the SF in Paris back in 2018 and followed it with a QF finish in 2019, this year marked only her 2nd second-week appearance since then. 

Reflecting on her 4th-round win, Keys opened up with refreshing honesty: “There’s a lot of pressure to kind of immediately make it when you’re a top junior, and I think sometimes you kind of lose the fun of all of it and all of the just amazing experience that you get to have through being a professional tennis player.”

Her perspective carried the weight of experience. “I think the biggest thing from all of it is that it’s really never too late,” she added. “I obviously had a lot of success earlier in my career, and then didn’t quite get across the line until a few months ago. There is really no time limit, and I think a lot of us, as time goes by, and we haven’t gotten it, feel like time is running away. So I think there is no time limit. Anything can happen at any moment.”

What’s changed, though? According to Keys, it’s her mindset. That shift in mental approach has helped her make smarter decisions in clutch moments. She’s learned to trust herself again. 

Now, with grass under her feet and expectations rising, Keys carries the weight of American hopes. Wimbledon has always been a dream, but now it feels within reach.

Can she rise again and add another GS to her name? This time, the belief feels different, sharper, stronger, and forged through fire.