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U.S. OPEN

September 3, 2018

Madison Keys

New York, NY, USA

M. KEYS/D. Cibulkova

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're one of the four Americans left. How does that feel? Does it feel familiar to last year at all?
MADISON KEYS: It's always nice to see a bunch of Americans doing well at the home slam. I'm just really happy to be a part of it. And to have back to back years is really special.

Q. You're now 5-0 against Domi. Wonder what it is about your game you find favorable to you. How did you get it done today?
MADISON KEYS: I honestly don't remember our previous matches as well, so I can't talk about it. Today I think I served really well. I think the biggest thing is just being able to, you know, kind of push her back off of the baseline where she likes to hold her ground and just be able to dictate points like that.

Q. Doesn't seem like there is a lot of attention being focused on you, at least yet, in this tournament. Do you prefer it that way? Obviously as a finalist last year, you could have a lot more attention on you.
MADISON KEYS: It's, you know, kind of nice to be under the radar. Either way, I'm pretty used to it either way. This one just seems like it's a little bit more low key.

Q. It does seem low key. Do you have any thoughts on why?
MADISON KEYS: There is a bunch of big stories, obviously. Serena is back. Sloane is playing really well. There is just a lot going on this year.

Q. Arthur Ashe is being honored on court tonight. Wondering if he means anything to you, if you thought about his legacy playing out on that stadium at all.
MADISON KEYS: I think being able to play on a court named after someone so amazing, and not just in tennis, but bigger than tennis, it's always really special. And to, you know, be the American, home crowd and all of that, it's just all part of what I love about the US Open.

Q. At the end of a match when you get to hit the balls up into the stands, what's that like for you to kind of be able to engage with the fans and have a little bit of fun after you have won? Is there a technique to hitting the ball up that high?
MADISON KEYS: It's always fun. I usually to aim for the people up higher, as high as I can hit the ball, because you can't hit it out of the stadium, just because they're just involved as the people who are lower.

But, you know, honestly I just kind of pick someone and hit it as hard as I can.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about being full-time coachless at this point in time? Is there something liberating about that that kind of gives you, I have to think this out for myself? Who is working with you here?
MADISON KEYS: Ola has been helping since I got here. Kathy Rinaldi helped me a little bit earlier in the week. Lindsay has been here. So I feel like I have a lot of people around me.

You know, they are always super supportive, no matter what, and they all stepped up and said that we're 100% here for you.

Honestly, it feels no different than anywhere else.

Q. But away from here, let's say, what do you think it will feel like if you don't have -- or maybe you'll have a full-time coach?
MADISON KEYS: I mean, it would probably be nice. We'll see how it goes.

Q. You'll make your own decisions or...
MADISON KEYS: I think it just puts all -- it's all on me. You know, I have to be the one out there to figure it out and tough times and all of that.

You know, it's definitely fun, but it makes me really think and be accountable.

Q. Just as a follow-up on that, that sounds like that's a lot of voices in your head. Do you enjoy that? Do you enjoy having all those different perspectives?
MADISON KEYS: You know, it's predominantly Lindsay and Ola, and they are very much always on the same page. If one person is giving a message, the other one is usually there to hear what they're saying. It's always the same, so it's pretty easy.

Q. Very efficient today. How do you feel how your game is working into the second week?
MADISON KEYS: I feel like today I played really well. I think I served well, other than one game. And other than that, I think I did a really good job to stay in some important games where I was down Love-30 or 15-40. That's what I'm most happy about and what I have been looking at.

So just being able to stay in some really important games and play smart is what I think I have done well.

Q. You'll have one of two different opponents, Maria or Carla. Your thoughts on those matchups.
MADISON KEYS: I mean, they are pretty much polar opposites. One hits hard and flat and goes for her shots. The other one has a lot more spin and likes to work the point a lot more.

They are both very different matchups. I'm going to let all of my coaches watch and decide (smiling). I'm going to go actually eat dinner in the city instead.

Q. Following up, looking ahead, if it's Maria as your opponent, how would you describe her game, specifically hers, not the comparison with Suarez Navarro.
MADISON KEYS: She goes for her shots. She's a big hitter. I think she always puts a lot of pressure on you to come up with good shots.

Q. How would you compare your game with hers, your style of play?
MADISON KEYS: I would say we probably play similarly in some ways, but I think I probably play with more of a heavy forehand.

Q. 'Pressure,' that word, how much do you think about the pressure on the court? What do you do to get yourself through those high-pressure moments?
MADISON KEYS: I don't think it's pressure on the court. I think there's too many other things going on to be concerned about that.

But I think the biggest thing is, you know, just playing through nerves and playing through wanting to do well. You just keep your feet moving and go for your shots.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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