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U.S. OPEN

September 7, 2017

Madison Keys

New York, NY, USA

M. KEYS/C. Vandeweghe

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're a Grand Slam finalist here at the US Open facing another American. How does that feel?
MADISON KEYS: It feels absolutely amazing. You know, these are the moments growing up that you dream about, and, you know, to be sitting here as a US Open finalist, it feels really amazing.

Q. CoCo was in here, and she was disappointed, she's crying, very upset. She says the reason she was so upset was not that she lost, but it was how she lost. She said she didn't have a say-so. Your play was so dominant. Talk about the match tonight, what you were able to do.
MADISON KEYS: I played really, really well. It was kind of one of those days where I came out and I was kind of in a zone, and I just kind of forced myself to stay there. I knew I was going to have to play really well in order to beat her, and, you know, I feel like once things started going, it just kind of fell into place. You know, luckily I was able to close it out the way that I did.

Q. You have a friendly relationship with CoCo and have done well against her this summer. Sloane was in here saying how close you guys are. How difficult is it to play against a friend, and how have you been able to succeed at that?
MADISON KEYS: It's always tough, but I think the interesting thing about us is we have kind of been around each other for a long time. I have played Sloane before. I'm pretty sure she killed me (smiling), but I think it gets easier and easier as time goes on to play each other.

It's just -- you figure out how to separate your friendship from being on the court, and obviously both of us want to win, and I think when we come off the court, we're able to leave what happens there and still have a great friendship off of the court.

Q. The wrap on your leg didn't seem to affect you. Is that just maintenance?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I felt it at the end of my match the other day, and then I just didn't want it to become something that would be bad. So as soon as I kind of felt it get the tiniest bit worse, I just had it wrapped to try and prevent anything from happening.

Q. How different are you and Sloane as players, and how would you describe the elements of your respective games that make you different?
MADISON KEYS: I think Sloane is really good at defending, obviously, but I think we're similar in the fact that we both like to try to attack and be on offense.

Yeah, I mean, I would say she's probably more comfortable defending and not going for bigger shots before me, but I would say we are very similar in a lot of ways.

Q. Speaking of similarities, you have both gone through a lot this year. What perspective can you give on what you went through to get to this spot after the beginning of the year and what she's gone through?
MADISON KEYS: I was actually just laughing and thinking who would have thought in Australia that Sloane and I would be the finalists at the US Open? Neither one of us were playing at the time, both just having surgeries.

So it's really amazing, and, I mean, I have known Sloane for a long time, and she's a close friend of mine. So to be able to play her in both of our first finals is a really special moment, especially with everything that we have gone through this year.

Q. You have both been through so much and you were talking the other day about the state of American tennis, and here you are in the final with Sloane. Does it seem like the time is right that you have both bloomed at the same time?
MADISON KEYS: I think we both had -- I mean, both of us had done well in previous years. Whether it was not being able to handle things and the pressure, injuries, all of that, it feels like we have always kind of been around, but it was kind of this tournament where we both put everything together and went on a really good run.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your friendship with her? Since when do you know her? When do you spend time with her?
MADISON KEYS: I have known Sloane since we were juniors. We played junior tournaments together. We have been on Fed Cup teams together.

Whenever we are around, we try to go to dinner with each other and hang out. More than that, she's always someone who I know, you know, is always there watching, and she'll text me no matter what. We are always kind of keeping tabs on each other and rooting for each other.

Q. Have you been to dinner with her here in New York?
MADISON KEYS: Here? No, I have played night matches every night. She's been asleep before I have (smiling).

Q. When I was talking to Lindsay at Indian Wells, I think she said you guys more planning ahead to 2018. Now you're in a slam final. I don't know if it was Stanford or what, maybe it hasn't clicked in yet, where you said, hey, I can do things quickly?
MADISON KEYS: No, we haven't had that discussion. I just remember the first match in Stanford, she just said, You've got to take a breath and let it happen.

Since then, good things have been happening. It just feels like since then everything is kind of falling into place, and, yeah, I think we just sped up the timeline a little bit.

Q. Did you come here thinking that you could be a champion?
MADISON KEYS: No, I definitely did not. I really was just going match by match, just wanted to have some good ones and feel good every time I came off the court.

Yeah, I still haven't fully let myself think about being in the finals.

Q. You had wrist surgery. That was terrible. Then you go to the French Open, and it turns out you're going to have to have surgery again. On that flight back, and in that period, what were your thoughts? And how did this process happen that you're now a US Open finalist?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I will say that both times I went in for surgery, it was kind of a relief. Well, the first one, I was in lots of pain. So I came out and I felt a lot better.

Then the second time, you know, hearing that there was still something going on, so I wasn't crazy, was kind of a relief to me.

Since then, it's just, you know, it's been a big weight off of my shoulders and I'm playing really free. More than anything, I'm just really, really enjoying my time on the court.

You know, I think that's been a massive part of why I have been playing well.

Q. My follow-up is that you have had this process of being off the circuit, having to do the surgery and the procedures, but Sloane, too. She was off for 11 months. Just talk about the process in tennis where you can step away, go through all this tough periods and then come back and succeed.
MADISON KEYS: Well, I think time away, as good as it is, just to take a step away from it all, is good, but you realize how much you love doing this and being on the road and playing tennis.

So I think you just really appreciate being out here. I think that's Sloane and me right now. I think we're both just loving our time on court, and I think it's really showing.

Q. This is of course very much an individual sport, but is there any sort of significance you can attach to the idea of your first Grand Slam final being against another young American player?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think it's amazing. I definitely never envisioned it happening this way, but I couldn't think of a better person to have this first experience with.

Q. As for, I guess, the broader idea of questions that have been around about is there going to be another American woman after the Williams sisters to step forward and win Grand Slam titles, and now you'll have two first-time finalists from the U.S., is there a significance to that, do you think?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think so. But I also think you have CoCo who made a semifinal, and you have lots of young up-and-comers, and I definitely think, you know, the American women are doing really well right now.

I think this tournament has just shown that.

Q. Is it just a coincidence or is there something positive that came out of being injured that affected your tennis, made your tennis better? I mean, Sloane was injured and now she's in a final. Cause and effect doesn't seem to work with injuries and getting better, but, I don't know, was there something about it? Do you become more focused or is that just nonsense?
MADISON KEYS: No, I think you take a lot of pressure off of yourself. I know for me last year, my only focus was to get to Singapore. I kind of lost sight of how much I actually loved the game, because it was just every week, it was just chasing points. That's all I could focus on.

Being away from the game and just remembering why I love competing and all of that, I think it helped me tremendously, and I think, not being there, it just made me realize how much I love it and not to put so much pressure on myself, which I think helps me enjoy being out there a lot more.

Q. Monica Seles looked like an incredible competitor, but she insisted she wasn't competitive. She just loved hitting the ball. What do you love about it? What is it you actually figured out you love about it and you got back to it?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I love -- I love that feeling when you hit the ball perfectly and it comes off of your racquet. But I also love those matches, like the other night for me, when I played Svitolina. Feels like you're down and you very well could be out, and you figure it out and you come back and you fight, those are the moments that I absolutely love.

Q. Was that a process that you came to, or have you always known that about yourself?
MADISON KEYS: It's definitely something that I have learned to love more. In certain situations, it could be overwhelming, but the more that I have been in those situations and figured it out, the more that I have had the belief that I could get out of any situation I was put in.

Q. You and Sloane made your big breakthroughs at the Australian Open making the semis. How different are you as a player and even as a person maybe now that you made your step through the door and played so well in your second semifinal?
MADISON KEYS: Well, the biggest difference was I wasn't playing Serena this time (smiling). Yeah, so -- but I think this time around, it's been in the pressure situation, and I kind of knew what to expect.

I have done a lot better job of not worrying about outside voices and influences and things like that, and just focusing on myself and what the people closest to me are saying.

Q. At 22, it still feels like you have been around for a long time, played your first US Open as a young teenager. I'm curious what you might say to that young girl, now having experienced all you have gone through.
MADISON KEYS: I would mostly say maybe don't take those losses so hard. Things eventually work out a little bit better.

Q. CoCo is not the only player that's kind of sad after a match loss to you that says I'm a power player and I did not have control. What's it feel like to be one of those players alongside players like Serena, like Petra? What is it like to have that type of game? What pressure does that add when you play a player like Sloane who is going to defend and try and get balls back?
MADISON KEYS: Well, I think as far as being that kind of player, a lot of times it's really great or it's really terrible. Finding that middle ground on the terrible days is the toughest part.

But today everything kind of just worked for me, and if I wanted to go in a certain spot, that's where I went, and it seemed like it worked.

I mean, playing Sloane, I know she's going to get a lot of balls back, and she's going to reset the point over and over again.

I'm just going to have to be patient and, you know, not go for too much too soon and just try to keep building points until I finally have the right ball.

Q. Do you think tonight was the best you have played in a big match, in a match with high stakes?
MADISON KEYS: Yes, I would say for sure. I mean, I think I played well in Stanford, as well, in the finals, but I don't think it was nearly the level that it was tonight.

Q. Is there going to be extra pressure or extra motivation for you that winning after your coach was the first before the Williams sisters, so this can be extra pressure or extra motivation for you? Winning as a first woman in the 21st Century besides Williams sisters at home, as a home Grand Slam, is gonna be pressure or motivation for you? You wish it's going to be different slam, Melbourne or Paris?
MADISON KEYS: I don't even know where to start with that. I think, if anything, it's great that I have Lindsay in my corner. She's been in the situation and she can help me through it. As far as that, I don't think having her as my coach is more pressure.

I mean, what better place to be in your first Slam final than at home with a great crowd who's going to be behind both of us. On top of that, getting to play my friend, I think it's just an amazing opportunity. I'm going to go out there and do my absolute best.

Q. During the last Australian Open, Sloane spoke of being on the couch all the time. Were you on a couch? Did you call, text, otherwise encourage each other? Do you remember?
MADISON KEYS: I think Sloane and I were talking. I know -- I remember I saw her before she went to Brisbane, or maybe Sydney. I was in LA. I had just started hitting again.

She got there, and all of a sudden, I saw that she came back. I was just, like, Hey, what's up? Why are you back in L.A.? She said, Unfortunately I have to have surgery. She went in a couple of days later. And then I think we both just texted each other and said, This really sucks.

I mean, from then on, I have always been talking to her and texting her, you know, keeping in touch. I think we have really helped each other.

Yeah, I think we definitely know what the other was going through throughout the year.

Q. Can you recall the first time you ever met her?
MADISON KEYS: No, I can't. It's been a really long time (smiling).

Q. You talked about being in the zone tonight. When do you realize you're in the zone? Is it during warmups? First game, when you first broke her? When are you...
MADISON KEYS: I just felt really good, kind of just even in the first game. I felt like everything was kind of working. Then I had a really good return game right off the bat.

Then I was focusing on not telling myself that I was in the zone, and then I just kind of tried to keep my mind clear and just stay in that.

Q. So then how do you bottle it for Saturday?
MADISON KEYS: If anyone knew how to do that, I think they would be, like, the richest person in the world (smiling).

Q. On a lighter note, we know that tennis players have different victory rituals, like Agassi bowing to the Four Corners, the Bryan brothers chest bumping. If you do win in the final, will you, like you did at Stanford, go and sit on Sloane's lap?
MADISON KEYS: I don't have -- like, I don't really see into the future, so I don't know. I guess we'll see how the moment plays out.

Q. Do you think that photo of you with the braces up in Ashe was good luck?
MADISON KEYS: No, I wish it was gone. If I never saw that again, I'd be fine.

Q. What do you think you and Sloane have shown this year by the way you have come back from these injuries?
MADISON KEYS: I think that we have just shown that we really love the game and that we are willing to work hard and do whatever we have to do to be back.

But I think more than anything, it just shows that, you know, we can be put into any situation and no matter what we're going to come back and, you know, do really big things.

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