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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 27, 2016

Madison Keys

Kallang, Singapore

A. KERBER/M. Keys

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Thoughts on the match and also on your experience.
MADISON KEYS: I think today I definitely again played with nerves. I think big thing for me that I need to work on is being able to separate my feelings and emotions from my matches.

I think when it's a high-stress situation my tennis definitely takes a big dip. That's something I'm gonna have to work on.

But overall, it's an amazing experience to be here. I worked really hard to get here so I'm proud of myself for that.

Yeah, I mean, hopefully this is just one of the many times I'm in the Finals, and I can get better and better at dealing with the nerves.

Q. It's hard for some people to remember you're quite young. You've got plenty of time to get over it.
MADISON KEYS: I think so. Definitely still working on that. This is obviously my first experience in a setting like this.

I let nerves get the best of me, and I think that happens to everyone. Just something that I need to work on. It's not a bad thing. It happens to a lot of people. People figure it out.

Obviously I'm not the best at it at 21. Hopefully there is a couple more years to figure that out.

Q. (No microphone.)
MADISON KEYS: I think, you know, just makes you realize it doesn't all have to happen right now. Sometimes you have to give yourself a break.

You know, I think it just shows that tennis is, you know, evolving a little bit. People aren't winning slams at 21 anymore. It's later. Angelique made No. 1 in the world at 28, so that wasn't happening before.

That just gives me a little bit of a since of relief. It feels like I don't have have to all figure it out tomorrow.

Q. How tough it is to come to a match when generally you play a normal knock-out and you know it's just win or lose. Where instead doing Round Robin you know you have certain results you need. How difficult it is to kind of push it back rather than think too much about the score you need and such?
MADISON KEYS: I think that was definitely part of the nerves today. Knowing you have to get a certain amount of games or sets or whatever is obviously not something that I'm used to knowing walking onto a court.

So that just, you know, I feel like makes me a little bit more anxious. I think that carries over into my tennis. I think that was pretty obvious to see tonight.

I'm definitely not happy with myself letting nerves and anxiousness get the best of me. It's just something that I add to the list of what I want to improve on.

Q. Do you take some heart in kind of knowing that in the past you've been the type of player that seems to maybe need the experience the first time around and then be able to kind of get it done the second, third, fourth time around?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, it's always a lot easier to do it once you know what to expect and you're used to the feelings. It's just one of those things where this was a new experience for me and I can put it in my bag and use it the next time around.

Q. What are your takeaways leaving Singapore and this tournament specifically? What did you learn?
MADISON KEYS: You know, one of the biggest things I learned is that I'm able to push myself in a way just being able to qualify for this tournament.

Before I think that probably -- I may have not been able to do that as well. So I think that's a huge spot where I've grown. You know, I also think I let a lot of feelings get the best of me, and that hasn't happened for a while.

I think going back and talking to the people on my team to help me in that situation is going to be a big thing. You know, again, I'm disappointed that this is how my season ended, but at the at the same time, really proud of myself for getting myself here.

Q. Immediate plans for you now?
MADISON KEYS: I'm going to go home and just see my family, and then kind of go from there.

Q. How long are you going to put the racquet down? A week? Couple weeks?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, probably a couple weeks. Take a break. I probably won't last that long, but we'll see.

Q. Just looking back on your season, I'm just curious, what's the one thing that you love the most through day in and day out, either on or off the court?
MADISON KEYS: I think this year I've gotten a lot better at figuring matches out when I wasn't necessarily playing well. That was a big goal of mine.

I feel like I got a lot better at that. That's something that I can use all of next year and years to come. I think the biggest thing is just wanting to get better every single day and never really being completely happy.

I think pushing myself like that has really helped me get to where I am.

Q. Just a little look ahead. Looks like another Hawaii vacation tie for Fed Cup for you girl. Also the fact that it won't be Mary Joe Fernandez. I don't know who it will be. Maybe you do. What will be be like with a different captain?
MADISON KEYS: I don't know who it's going to be. I heard that it was in Hawaii, so definitely going to try to get to that tie.

But, yeah, looking forward to it. I always love weeks when I get to play Fed Cup. Being on a team and really getting to embrace that is really different for us. We have a really great group of Americans to spend a week with.

Q. Anyone you would like to see become captain off the top of your head?
MADISON KEYS: I don't know. There are so many options. I think everyone is very capable. I think it's a really unique experience, so I am sure whoever they end up picking will be great.

Q. A lot of younger players can take some time to kind of feel like they're one the best players in the world, even if their ranking shows that they are. You obviously, career year high ending, all that stuff. Do you feel that yet? Do you have that confidence of knowing that you are one of the top 8 players in the world, one of the top 6, whatever it is, or not? Do you still have to grow into that?
MADISON KEYS: I think I'm getting better at it. Then I think other times that confidence isn't always there. I think that kind of shows in my tennis.

You know, it's just another thing that I have to add to the list to work on.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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