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ROLAND GARROS

June 7, 2018

Madison Keys

Paris, France

S. STEPHENS/M. Keys

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. If you would just take us through what you're feeling and thinking right now.
MADISON KEYS: I'm obviously really disappointed that I lost today, but I think overall it was a really great tournament for me. I definitely don't think, after I lost in Madrid, I'd be sitting here as a semifinalist in Roland Garros. I feel, you know, proud about that.

And I also think Sloane played incredibly well today. I think it was a much better match for me than US Open, so lots of positives. And I'm trying to remember those right now.

Q. You obviously got broken fairly early, but were you happy with the way that you were able to stick in there, work for break points in that first set, and also to not let it slip away too quickly in the second and bounce back at least?
MADISON KEYS: I think, you know, one of the things about the match today, which makes me feel great in some ways and not great in others, is it was a couple points here and there. I mean, that's a lot better than last time I played her (smiling).

So there is that. But at the same time, it makes it a little bit more difficult to get over that just because I feel like I was so much closer.

Q. What's the challenge like facing her? She's so fast and the surface slows the ball down a little bit too. How hard is it to hit a winner against her and what was your thinking out there?
MADISON KEYS: It's really tough to get any ball by her, but especially today she was neutralizing so well, and she was hitting so many deep, heavy balls, that I really felt like I was having to go for a lot.

You know, there is a lot of times where I feel like she made the ball by, you know, a centimeter and I was missing it. Just one of those days where I think she played incredibly well.

Q. That being said, how do you rate her chances against Simona in the finals? Do you think she can beat her?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's going to be an incredibly tough match. They obviously both move really well. It's going to be, you know, who can stay in the point the longest.

I mean, if she plays like she did today, I think she has a great chance.

Q. Today in terms of the match, did you feel like tactically that you had the right tactics out there? Or was it an execution issue, like, I was playing the right way, just the shots didn't land? Or how about the decision-making out there? What was your kind of takeaway from today?
MADISON KEYS: I think as far as tactically, I was playing the right way, at least trying to. I think she was making it difficult.

Obviously I was trying to get to the net more and be more aggressive, but it's really difficult to do that when everything is bouncing on the baseline.

But, you know, I was happy that I kept trying to do the right thing, and I think I was playing the smart way. I just wasn't executing as well today.

Q. I can't imagine how you felt at the end of the match, but you were still smiling and you were very appreciative of the support that you received from the crowd, as well. Is that in part because you enjoy competing on the big stage? And also, perhaps because you feel like you might have jumped over a psychological hurdle and that you now know you can compete here at Roland Garros?
MADISON KEYS: I'm going to be honest, I wasn't thinking all of that at the very end (smiling).

I was more, I mean, thinking that it was a great tournament and I did my best, and that's all I can really do.

It also beats where I was a year ago, so...

Q. In terms of where Sloane was a year ago, and you have been close with her for a long time, this time last year she was just coming out of her boot, I guess, and now she's possibly two days away becoming a two-time slam champ. What do you make of her ascendance this quickly?
MADISON KEYS: I think Sloane has always had the ability to win slams. She's gone deep in slams before.

I think being away from the sport, she realized how much she loved it, and we saw that last summer when she came out and she was playing unbelievable.

So I think she remembered how much she loves playing tennis, but more than that, I think then she started doing well and she won the US Open. I mean, when that starts happening, I think it's a lot easier to get out there and try to do it again.

Q. I have some good news for you. It's the grass season now for you.
MADISON KEYS: Yes.

Q. It's happening. So do you think what you have done here over the fortnight that that carries through at all into the grass season? Like when you did well in Rome the one year, did you feel that there was a wave, momentum going into grass, or is it surface switch and it doesn't matter?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I hope it carries over (smiling).

I feel good. I mean, I have a lot of good matches under my belt now. And going on to one of my favorite surfaces, I'm always happy to feel like I'm really confident in my game.

Even today, losing, knowing that I kept trying to do the right thing and I stayed in it till the very end, those are all really great feelings.

So I go into grass season feeling really great, so hopefully that can all just carry over.

Q. How was it playing a good friend today, say, compared to the US Open experience?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, in a lot of ways it was the same. In a lot of ways it was different. You know, it's the third time we have played. It was obviously a different stage, but still high stakes.

It's always going to be more difficult, but also great at the same time.

Hopefully we can have many more.

Q. At this juncture with your improvement, is there any such thing for you as a moral victory?
MADISON KEYS: No (smiling). It's the little things, you know, and especially on a day like today where you don't come out with the win. I, you know, walked off the court and everyone said, We're so proud of you, and that was so great. Not one person had any disappointment in their voice or their look.

Things like that make the losses a little bit easier.

Q. You have a tough time against Sloane and a tough time against Simona. So when you play against those players and you have played them a bit, I mean, do you see any soft spots in either of their games that at least have worked well for you? I know their game styles will match up differently on Saturday. Where do you see that Halep can be exposed or where do you see you were getting some mileage in Sloane's game?
MADISON KEYS: I think both of them are similar in the sense that if you can get them off of the baseline, then you can open up the court.

I think if you try to go angles with them, you're going to be the one that's running and not like it.

So I think that's the biggest thing is just trying to neutralize through the middle and not be the one that's moving. It's a lot harder to actually do that.

But I'm really interested to see how the final goes.

Q. Now that your tournament is over, the coach search will start sort of in earnest soon and what will that process be like?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, give me a little bit more than an hour.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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