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ROGERS CUP

July 26, 2016

Madison Keys

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

M. KEYS/E. Vesnina

6-4, 6-0

An interview with:

MADISON KEYS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I was wondering, looking back at the first part of 2016, you had some very good results. You broke into the top 10. You got to the final in Rome. You've had some disappointing defeats, like the injury in Australia, possibly one in Wimbledon. Are you satisfied with what's happened in 2016 or did you expect more from yourself?
MADISON KEYS: I don't know if I would say 'expected more of myself'. I had a tough off-season. My fitness trainer got deported and I broke my arm. It was a tough couple of months at the start of the year. A lot was kind of thrown at me.

It was really just trying to figure out how to deal with all of that and still play tennis. And obviously I've had some better results now, even breaking into the top 10, but not staying there for very long.

I really just want more. So as great as it has been sometimes, as bad as it's been at times, I really just want more for myself. Not that I expect that of myself, but those are just my goals.

Q. Looking back at Wimbledon, some people were actually penciling you in as the second favorite of the tournament while the tournament was going on. If you have that kind of label attached to yourself, does it motivate you or is it more pressure on your shoulders and it kind of makes you play a bit more contracted?
MADISON KEYS: I think it can be both. Obviously if you're thinking about it, then it can make you more nervous in matches. At the same time, you know, obviously you're playing well enough that people think that.

I think, depending on how you look at it, it can either be a pressure or it can be a motivator.

Q. What is it more for you? It depends on the situation, or there is one feeling that prevails?
MADISON KEYS: I think, especially for me, I have to be very concentrated on it, just thinking that I'm going to think of it as a positive, because it definitely can be more of a pressure. I think when I'm thinking about what other people are expecting, that's when I'm not playing my best.

So I have to try to just focus more on myself and what I expect of myself and not really listen to everyone else's opinion.

Q. About what's happening in a week or so: the Olympics. How are you feeling?
MADISON KEYS: I'm excited. I've wanted to play in the Olympics forever. It's always been a dream of mine. Being nominated to the team is incredible, and I'm really, really looking forward to it.

Q. To go there with the Williams sisters, does it add to the experience?
MADISON KEYS: I guess. But if they were there or not, I'm still going to be really excited.

Obviously it's a really strong team and it's going to be really fun. We're all really very much looking forward to it. I'm really happy that the people who I'm going with are part of the team.

Q. To break the top 10 for the first time for an American since 1999, does it have a special meaning to you?
MADISON KEYS: It was kind of surprising, more just because I felt there was a lot of great American players in that time span. But obviously it's really special to me that I was able to do that, even if it was only for a week or so.

Now my goal is to get back into the top 10.

Q. Boring question: today's match. Not an easy opponent in the first round of any tournament. What was your mindset going into it? Can you talk about how you were able to get that break and race away with it?
MADISON KEYS: Obviously she's playing really well. She usually does well on grass. But, no, she was playing really well at the beginning of the first set. I think her serving was really, really good. It was hard to get a look at it.

But I feel like once I maybe started reading her serve a little bit more, I was able to break her. Then I think from there she felt a little bit more pressure, so she maybe wasn't serving as well. But I think I raised my level.

Q. Post Wimbledon, I know there was a lot of emotion going on after the loss. After a few days or few weeks, looking back on it, do you have a better sense of what happened in that match physically and is it something that you're still concerned about?
MADISON KEYS: No. It was kind of a combination of nerves, being a little bit sick, probably not drinking enough. Just a really bad combination. Unfortunately I started cramping. You know, in that situation, once it starts, there's not much you can do.

Definitely looked into some things that if it happens again, I'm able to maybe take something and try to help stop that. But definitely not something I'm concerned about.

Q. What is your relationship with the social media? How do you balance the need to keep in touch with the rest of the world and, on the other hand, to kind of shut out what can be negative for you or for your game?
MADISON KEYS: I don't go on social media before matches or if I'm just not in a really good space, just because there's usually something negative on there.

For some reason, you used to be able to turn off all of your notifications from people, which I would do during tournaments. But you can't anymore. I usually just click to the top and don't read anything.

No, I think it's great because you can kind of connect with your fans, you can hear what's going on in the world. But it definitely can be really hard sometimes to get the negative stuff that you get.

I think it just depends on where you are. If you're in a good place, you know it's not going to bother you, then go ahead and read all the comments. But I normally don't.

Q. A quick one on the Olympics. How hard is it to focus on this tournament with the Olympics looming? How much email or whatever it is from the U.S. Olympic Committee, all the planning sort of stuff, are you getting? Can you have tunnel vision this week at all?
MADISON KEYS: I almost keep forgetting that it's so soon. Today I saw 10 days away. Oh, my God, it's in 10 days. Not ready for that (smiling).

Luckily we got a lot of the emails planning on where we're supposed to be where, we got that the last couple of weeks. Now you just get the stray one where it's like, Oh, last thing.

But it's mostly I'm still focused on this, then I'll have, like, a reminder it's in the next week. Oh, right, forgot about that.

So right now I'm just really focused on this tournament, trying to do that, not really be concerned about next week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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