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U.S. OPEN

September 6, 2015

Madison Keys

New York, NY, USA

S. WILLIAMS/M. Keys

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. On 10 or 11 critical points you seemed to go for broke. Was that an aggressive strategy you went into the match with?
MADISON KEYS: Okay. I mean, she was playing really, really well today. I feel like I had to play my absolute best. You know, it was one of those things where if I wasn't hitting a winner I feel like she was. She wasn't giving me many unforced errors.

I felt like I kind of had to go for it today.

Q. How much did you feel like she kind of almost shrunk the court in terms of where there was space to hit your shots?
MADISON KEYS: For sure. She put a lot of pressure on me to have to kind of almost overplay. In a sense I feel like she made very little unforced errors, making me hit a lot of winners, and served really, really well.

I felt like I was going for it more than I normally would have. I felt like if I didn't hit a winner I wouldn't get to the next ball.

Q. Did you feel like the added elements out there in the match because of the occasion of the Grand Slam an everything, or did it feel just like a normal US Open match?
MADISON KEYS: It felt like a normal US Open match. It felt like any other big match in a Grand Slam on a big court.

Q. What did you think you did really, really well today?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think I served pretty well. I think she returned better. But, I mean, I think overall I did everything good. You know, I don't think I did anything really great, which I think to beat Serena when she's playing well you have to do a lot of things great.

Q. How different was she playing, if at all, today against you versus back in January?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think, you know, especially in Australia in the first set I had some more chances for breakpoints and things like that. I mean, I think her serving was amazing today, so I never really had any chance to have any break chances or anything like that.

So I think that was probably the biggest difference.

Q. Can you tell us what the game plan was going in, what you feel you didn't execute well?
MADISON KEYS: I think for me it was, you know, trying to hit deep, go up the middle, maybe get her off the baseline, and try to open up the court.

I feel like, you know, today she really pushed me. I didn't really have the chances that I normally have to kind of dictate the point.

Q. Were you counting on Serena struggling with the Serena Slam or did you expect her to come out sharp?
MADISON KEYS: I feel like once Serena plays a couple of matches she just gets better and better. I knew she was going to definitely be tough to beat today.

Q. Eugenie Bouchard withdrew from the tournament due to a concussion, which we don't see a lot. Have you heard of anyone having one of those and how tennis might deal with it?
MADISON KEYS: The only other time I've heard of a tennis player getting a concussion was Lauren Davis in Charleston however many years ago. I don't think it's very common. It's really, really unfortunate. You never want to see a person come down with that.

As far as tennis dealing with it, I don't think that has to be a big thing. I don't think we're going to be, you know, like helmet to helmet hitting each other or anything.

Q. You seemed a little emotional at the beginning of your press conference. Was there something in this match that made it bigger for you?
MADISON KEYS: No. My mom and my sister just surprised me by coming. I didn't know they were here. You caught me as I saw them. (Laughter).

Q. They didn't tell you they were coming?
MADISON KEYS: No, they didn't.

Q. Were they watching from the box?
MADISON KEYS: They were somewhere in the stadium. I guess they came in last night and I didn't know. Lindsay was just like, Surprise, they came!

Q. How confident were you at the beginning of the tournament that you were going to be in the fourth round facing Serena?
MADISON KEYS: I feel like I played a pretty good match against Petra in New Haven. Obviously she had a really good week winning the tournament there, so I felt more confident than a couple weeks before.

But I feel like going into a tournament you never really know what's going to happen.

Q. Do you think your game would be complemented any better if you played doubles at all? Is that something you ever thought of?
MADISON KEYS: I've never really thought about it. I think doubles can really help knowing where to be positioned on the court, your volleys, things like that.

I mean, I do try to play doubles. I usually lose in doubles early. (Laughter.)

But Jon was actually talking about how we're going to be working on some double this off-season.

Q. Do you enjoy it?
MADISON KEYS: I really enjoy playing doubles.

Q. The last week and a half has been about Lisa and her retirement. Has that added a different element, going full-time with you?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I cried a lot. I cried after we lost doubles. Then she got into mixed. I told her I couldn't talk about it anymore because I'd start crying about it again.

People kept coming up to her and saying stuff. I would just walk away. I couldn't handle it.

We'll probably go to dinner tonight and I'll probably cry again. I don't know why, because it's not like she's going to be gone. I mean, she's going to Asia with me.

But, I mean, I'm really lucky that she's been amazing to play with. But now she's also helping me out. I'm really happy that she's still going to be around.

Q. Besides tennis, what do you like to do for fun?
MADISON KEYS: I like to go shopping, which I'm going to do later today. (Smiling.) I like to bake.

Q. (Question regarding Serena serving.)
MADISON KEYS: I noticed, yeah. (Smiling.) She had like 12 aces and like 120-mile-an-hour serves. Yep, I notices that.

Q. Are you going to be rooting for Serena to win this thing?
MADISON KEYS: For sure. I mean, now that I've lost, definitely I want her to make history and win the calendar slam.

Q. Did you get any words from Lindsay after the match?
MADISON KEYS: I haven't really talked to her much. You know, she just said, Great week and a half. Keep building on it. Let's move on from this and learn from it and get ready for the next little bit of the season.

Q. Seeing Serena's dominance, which surface do you think can break and stop Serena in the next couple years?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, she's won a Grand Slam on all of them, so I have no idea. I mean, I think she's pretty much dominated on every surface. I don't know the answer to that.

Q. Which can be the most vulnerable?
MADISON KEYS: I have no idea. I truly do not have any idea.

Q. We know Serena is the story, but how do you feel about what Venus is doing quietly?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's great. You know, it's always tough to watch Venus and Serena play each other. I mean, they're always memorable matches. It's always great to see Venus doing well.

I mean, I feel like every American has had to play each other in this part of the draw, so it's unfortunate that they have to meet in the quarters instead of, you know, a semi or final. Really looking forward to that match.

Q. What is your earliest memory of seeing them play each other?
MADISON KEYS: I'm not sure, to be honest. I feel like it was when they both had beads in their hair, though. So whenever that was.

Q. What's next for you?
MADISON KEYS: I'm not quite sure, honestly.

Q. You're not going to QuÃ©bec City?
MADISON KEYS: I think so.

Q. Not sure?
MADISON KEYS: No, I'm not quite sure yet.

Q. What is your favorite music to listen to?
MADISON KEYS: I kind of listen to a little bit of everything. Like on my iPod it will go from Lil Wayne to Taylor Swift to some old country. It's kind of all over the place. I'm pretty sure I have High School Musical and stuff on my iPod, too.

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