For years, Madison Keys floated around the rankings, never quite reclaiming the buzz she created as a teenage prodigy. There were whispers — was it all just hype? But earlier this year, at 30, she finally silenced the doubters by winning her first Australian Open title. She did it in style, too, defeating World No.1 and two-time Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka in the final. It was also her first Grand Slam final in eight years. Now, Keys is not just winning, she’s chasing records set by the all-time great Serena Williams herself.

Madison Keys’ journey at Roland Garros this year has been all business. She started off strong, brushing aside Australian qualifier Daria Saville 6-2, 6-1 in the first round. Then came Katie Boulter, and once again, Keys didn’t waste time. She fired her way to a 6-1, 6-3 win to move into the third round.

But that’s where things got tricky. Up next was fellow American and former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. It turned into a three-set thriller. Both players broke each other early in the third set, but at 5-5, Keys made her move. She broke Kenin’s serve and then held her own to close out the match. It wasn’t easy as the former Roland Garros runner-up held three match points, but Keys found a way and booked her ticket to the fourth round.

With that victory, Madison Keys stretched her Grand Slam winning streak to 10. That makes her the oldest woman to do so since Serena Williams pulled off a 16-match streak between the 2017 Australian Open and 2018 Wimbledon.

Serena Williams’ 2017 Aussie Open run remains one of the sport’s most legendary moments. She beat her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the final to grab her 23rd Grand Slam title, overtaking Steffi Graf in the Open Era. She didn’t drop a single set that tournament. Oh, and she was two months pregnant at the time. Not only did Serena win, she also reclaimed the world No.1 spot at the age of 35 years and four months, becoming the oldest woman to win a Slam in the Open Era.

After that, Williams stepped away from the tour to welcome her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in September 2017. She made her Grand Slam return at the French Open in 2018 but withdrew from her fourth-round match due to injury. Then came Wimbledon. She made the final but lost to Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3.

Going back to Madison Keys, her next test is a full-circle moment. She’s facing 23-year-old American Hailey Baptiste in the fourth round, whose first-ever WTA match was against the 30-year-old.

Madison Keys sets up an exciting all-American clash with Hailey Baptiste

Hailey Baptiste’s debut match was in Washington, and the underdog won. Baptiste beat Madison Keys in straight sets. “It was my first WTA match,” Baptiste said after her recent win. “I had a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement, and I was obviously playing somebody that I looked up to. I was just loose, having fun, I was in my hometown.”

But the tables turned in their next two meetings. Keys won both. Their 2023 Charleston match was a smooth win for Keys. But in 2024 at Indian Wells, Baptiste nearly pulled off an upset. “I had a few match points in that [Indian Wells] match,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m definitely looking to play her again and change the narrative, because that one definitely stung.”

Now, they meet again in Paris. Keys is in the Round of 16 at Roland Garros for the fifth time. Her best showing here? A semifinal run in 2018, followed by a quarterfinal in 2019. As for Baptiste, this is uncharted territory as she has never been past the second round of a Slam until now.

Keys is on a mission to keep climbing. Baptiste wants to prove she belongs on this stage. Who will win in this all-American encounter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!