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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2018

Madison Keys

Wimbledon, London, England

M. KEYS/A. Tomljanovic

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First match on grass this season. You have to like that opening performance, I assume?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I feel like your first match on grass is always -- nerves are a little bit more amplified. Not only happy with how I played and executed what I wanted to do but more how I handled my nerves.

Q. What has the preparation been like, then, for Wimbledon since you didn't play beforehand?
MADISON KEYS: I got here early, so I have been here since Aorangi opened for us.

Q. Did you go home?
MADISON KEYS: Yes, I went home. I needed the mental reset (smiling). I went home and came back, so I have been here for 10 days. Able to practice on grass the whole time. So it's been really good to have that much time on grass.

Q. When you speak about nerves, you know, you're a hugely accomplished player. I think some people might be surprised to know they are a factor. Can you describe what you mean by "nerves," handling your nerves?
MADISON KEYS: I think before every match you're nervous.

Q. But first round could seem to some observers like an occasion where you would expect to be, I don't know, in command or whatever. So it's just the surprise value to those who don't necessarily know that much about tennis about why nerves are a factor here.
MADISON KEYS: Honestly, every single match I have ever played, no matter the level, the round, anything, I have always felt nervous. It's obviously different levels. Yeah, it's butterflies, and obviously everyone handles nerves differently.

But for me I feel like my feet get a lot heavier and I get slower, but the biggest thing is just the nervous energy that you feel. The butterflies and all of that, I think, depending on how nervous you are, you feel it more, but definitely feel it before every match just because, you know, you care. You want to win.

Q. In terms of prematch routines and nerves, is there a specific routine you do, or is there any superstitions? Do you have to listen to a certain song? What's that like for you?
MADISON KEYS: I have a weird superstition where I try not to have superstitious (smiling) because that makes it so much better. So I just try to make everything as random as possible so that I don't get stuck doing the same thing, because in that way I'm not superstitious. I don't know how I came up with that (smiling).

So for me that's where I feel like -- because there is just so many things that could go wrong and things change. So I never want to feel extra nerves because something got thrown off.

So I never really feel the nerves because of the routines that I do. The biggest thing for me is just trying to stay really calm and, you know, lower anxiety and all that before just so that I can be really clear when I get on court.

Q. There has been some talk about the scheduling at Wimbledon. People saying we should switch the scheduling around, saying each year alternate between the men's and women's final being played on Sunday. What are your thoughts on that?
MADISON KEYS: Didn't hear anything about it.

Q. Do you think that's something that ought to be considered in order to elevate the prominence of the women's game?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think it could be a conversation really anywhere. I feel like it's always women's final on Saturday, men's final on Sunday. I don't know if that's just because it's tradition, how it's always been done, but, I mean, I think it could definitely be a conversation.

Q. There has been talk of changing the name from Wimbledon Ladies' Championship to Women's. "Ladies" is viewed by some as quite old fashioned.
MADISON KEYS: You guys are throwing the real tough questions out today, eh? I mean, you can. Again, I think it's just because of tradition. I will be coming and playing Wimbledon whether it's Wimbledon Ladies' or Wimbledon Women's.

Honestly, I have never thought about it until you just asked me that question (smiling).

Q. Continuing with tradition, in terms of the tradition of wearing white here, does that effect the way you think about your outfits? How do you feel about that tradition? Does it affect the atmosphere? What do you think about it?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's a really cool tradition. As a player who grew up watching, you're wearing your Wimbledon whites. And if you get to watch from the lunchroom where you can see all of the courts, it's really cool to see everyone in white.

So I think it's -- I mean, it's just part of the tradition. It would be weird if you saw color at Wimbledon.

Q. Another tough question.
MADISON KEYS: Oh, God.

Q. Judy Murray said today that she thinks tennis is due its own MeToo moment, and she talked about how there are a lot of vulnerable young ladies on tour. She's even heard of a case of abuse. I wonder whether you thought tennis did need MeToo, did that need that same kind of reckoning? We've seen it happen in politics, media, Hollywood where it started. What are your thoughts on that?
MADISON KEYS: Honestly, I feel like just the world that we live in we could use a little bit of MeToo in every aspect of everything. I think the biggest thing is just the awareness that it's happening a lot and it's happening everywhere, and just because you're in sports or in politics or an actress, it happens across the board. It happens to a lot of people.

I think the biggest thing is just having the conversation and, you know, listening and talking to each other. I mean, I hope that people would feel comfortable coming forward and talking about it and, you know, I think a lot of people would be very supportive of them.

Q. Serena yesterday spoke about being somewhat perplexed that she's been tested out of competition by USADA more than most of her competitors. Are you even aware that you can go to the website and look and see how many tests people have had? Does it bother you to know that you may be tested more or less than the people around you?
MADISON KEYS: I didn't know that you can go and see. I definitely know that I either get tested a lot or someone is at my house a lot to test me, whether it's in my hour or not.

I mean, honestly I kind of felt that it was evenly spread out. I mean, I obviously think it depends on where you are. Like, when I'm in the middle of nowhere, in Iowa when I'm at my mom's, I don't get tested quite as often as when I'm in Florida or LA or anything like that.

I think if you're in an area where there is lot of testers you are going to more likely be tested, whereas the closest person in Iowa is an hour-and-a-half drive.

Q. That's what Roger was saying. When he's in Dubai, only once in 15 years has he been tested there, but when he's home in Switzerland he has a tester who lives in his neighborhood, so he's tested quite often. That seems beside the spirit of it.
MADISON KEYS: I think it just kind of is like that. You know, there is obviously not a lot of athletes who are living in, you know, Bettendorf, Iowa, and so they are not going to have a dedicated person for me specifically when I go three times a year.

So I think it kind of just depends on if they're there and, you know, if maybe you should just like live in Hawaii, because then -- although we probably would have a lot more testers taking vacations there.

Q. For the record, they have you down as one out-of-competition test this year.
MADISON KEYS: That's because they don't come at the right time. I'm always at practice (smiling).

Q. David Taylor. So can you talk about the hire and how things have been going so far?
MADISON KEYS: Max obviously knows David pretty well, so it was a pretty easy transition. Things have been really great so far. He's really been great at helping me figure out my game, and the biggest thing is committing to being aggressive, and, well, that doesn't mean just going for everything but just reminding me that my safety is in racquet head speed and committing and trusting my shots. That's been really great, especially on grass, that it's kind of amplified. So far I have really enjoyed our time together.

Q. He has a coaching philosophy, he had it when he was with Stosur and Ostapenko, as well, backing your strengths. He would always say, I'm not here to retool your backhand if you have a bad backhand, not here to retool serve if you don't have. I'm here to help you learn how to use your weapons. Is that kind of the sense you have been getting so far or is it a more holistic approach to your game?
MADISON KEYS: I think it's a little bit more of a holistic approach, just because there is a lot of things that could be weapons for me that I maybe don't use all the time.

So there is obviously working on that aspect, but, you know, playing with more forehands and trying to be more aggressive on my serve, and it's kind of been a balance between the two of this could be really good, so we should work on it, but also, this is a weapon, we need to use it more.

Q. What about net game?
MADISON KEYS: He's trying to get me to come to the net. Maybe -- I mean, we'll see. Don't put pressure on me.

Q. This is obviously a great result for you today, but your friend Sloane Stephens was knocked out of the tournament today. Does that affect you at all? Is it nice to have a friend who stays with you during the tournament, or does it kind of not factor in at all?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, you always want a friend to do well, and it's always nice to kind of have someone around you all the time, but, you know, I'm sad for her, but then at the same time I'm focused on my game and, you know, my next match.

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