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DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN

September 25, 2016

Madison Keys

Wuhan, Hubei, China

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us how you feel coming into the tournament, how does your body feel, where is your game at.
MADISON KEYS: I'm feeling pretty good. This time of the year is always tough. I think everyone has something going on at this point. But I think we're all really excited to be here and ready to play. This is the final stretch of the season. I think mentally everyone is really kind of locked in and ready for the last couple of weeks.

Q. What was the most important thing for you to do between the US Open and now?
MADISON KEYS: I've really been focusing on time in the gym just because the next couple weeks, there's not a lot of time to focus on that. So really having a solid fitness base has been a big thing.

But also just getting those extra hours on the court and feeling really good about all of the little fine tuning parts of my game.

Q. So there was no rest? That was a long stretch with the Olympics and everything.
MADISON KEYS: Yes, it was.

Q. Did you have any time to leave the racquets or was it just back to work?
MADISON KEYS: I think I had, like, three days off, four days off. Yeah, it was great. It was really quick. But, I mean, it was mostly my wanting. After like three or four days, I was like, Okay, let's go. We've waited enough.

We weren't going crazy on the court or anything like that, but I just really wanted to get back out there and feel good about every little part.

Q. Is this where you imagined yourself to be in this part of the season? Before the season started, did you think this would be your ranking, that you'd be fighting for a spot in Singapore?
MADISON KEYS: No, at the beginning of the season I had a broken arm, so it's definitely not where I thought I was going to be. A lot has kind of happened this year. So I've been really happy that I had the consistency that I wanted, that I've been working really hard. I feel like it's kind of showing on the court.

I'm very happy to be in this position right now.

Q. Can you talk about the facilities that you have here in Wuhan. It seems the whole thing is pretty high level compared to what you can find in other tournaments during the season.
MADISON KEYS: Oh, it's an amazing facility. I think the fact that it's such a big venue, and I feel like it kind of popped up overnight. Two years ago this wasn't even done yet, and then last year it was completed. It's amazing.

I think that's part of the reason we all love coming here. It's a great warmup for Beijing. It's a great place to get some good matches and hopefully some good wins that can help us for trying to get into Singapore.

Q. This year your ranking is rising a lot. First time you came into the top 10. How is that inspiring you for the future, your mentality?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's been good. I think it's kind of been helping me just because I feel like a lot of my hard work is kind of showing. It just motivates me to keep doing that.

That hard work has gotten me here. If I continue to do what I've been doing, then good things will keep happening.

Q. You've had a lot of kind of epic duels with Angelique Kerber over the years.
MADISON KEYS: So much fun (smiling).

Q. What does it mean to you that she's No. 1 now?
MADISON KEYS: It doesn't surprise me. I mean, being on the other side of the net, it's not surprising in the slightest. I mean, great for her. It's really cool to see.

Obviously Serena is Serena. But it's really cool to see Angie there. I think 100% she's probably been the most consistent player the entire year.

Again, not surprising in the slightest that she's No. 1.

Q. Does it impact you at all or change your mentality at all with respect to your career that this is what you want to achieve, that this is a player you've beaten, that you're close to beating consistently, that you're very competitive alongside, and she's the No. 1 player in the world? Does it feel like that ceiling is, I guess, closer than maybe it was when it was Serena, or does that not even cross your mind?
MADISON KEYS: Kind of, yeah. I mean, it definitely shows that it's a couple of points here and there, and that can totally change things. I think she's been really good at figuring out ways how to beat Serena. I don't think very many people are able to do that consistently. I think she's figuring that out.

I think it shows you, one, I am really close. But, two, it used to be at 21 if you're not winning a slam, you're like, Oh, she's done. But now people are doing better and better as they're getting older. It's become much more a mental game. I think that's really cool to see and be a part of.

Q. And Singapore, what would it mean for you to qualify for that? You're in the hunt for it. Is it a goal that you set out at the start of the year at all? Has it changed as your results rolled in during the season?
MADISON KEYS: It was funny because at the beginning of the year I definitely was not in the race. It wasn't really in my mind. Then as I started doing a little bit better, I was slowing moving up the rankings a little bit.

No, now it's definitely something I want to qualify for Singapore and I'm going to do everything I can to. It would mean the world to me to be able to qualify.

Q. Do you feel like a top player, because you are right now? When you go to tournaments, do you feel that top players have this aura around them, maybe your mentality is different, or you have the extra confidence? Do you feel like that at all?
MADISON KEYS: I feel like I've definitely gained confidence in myself. I think especially that I've had a lot of matches this year where I wasn't playing my best tennis, and I was in some bad spots, but being able to figure that out. I think that's given me just a lot of personal confidence. I think maybe in that sense I do.

But, I mean, I definitely don't think it's like I'm floating on a cloud or anything.

Q. When you talk about working hard, improving this season, was there a moment like, Oh, I wish I could have clicked with this earlier? Or is it just the process that took you this amount of time, or Thomas made the difference?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's been a combination of things. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time for things to click and sink in. Sometimes it's just how someone words something one time, then it just makes sense to you.

I definitely think working with Thomas has been a huge benefit for me. But I also think it's a process. It's being ready to kind of handle the situation has been a big thing for me.

I think I'm putting myself in those positions and handling them a lot better. That just gives me more confidence. The more I'm in those tough situations, the better I feel about them.

Q. In general, the top players and the leading players, they kind of have the responsibility of working hard to give a positive perception of the sport. How aware are you of that role? Do you ever think as women that you have to work much harder to convince the world that you are top players, it's worth watching you? Do you feel you need to work hard on that? Are you aware of that role at all?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think I'm aware of it. At the same time, I've always tried to be a good role model for my younger sisters. That's kind of the first thing. I feel like, you know, it's always something, Would they be proud of me if I did this, things like that. As long as I'm doing that, I think I have a pretty good and positive reception. People enjoy watching me play, and they think that I am a top player, and they think women's tennis is great.

I think if we all just kind of continue to do that, I think we kind of let that do all the talking and not have to get into it.

Q. I want to ask you, coming to Wuhan Open, do you feel any differences from this visit compared to your previous visit? Halep said she hasn't been sleeping well. How do you feel about that? How do you feel about the temperature here in Wuhan and the facility?
MADISON KEYS: I was in Tokyo, so I've had a couple of days to get used to the time difference. I'm okay on that.

I think the facilities are amazing. It's definitely one of the best tournaments of the year. I think that's why a lot of the top players come and they enjoy playing here.

The weather, it is hot, it is humid. We have to deal with it a lot during the year. Nothing that we're not used to.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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