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ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2019

Madison Keys

Paris, France

M. KEYS/K. Siniakova

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I don't know how much you have been preparing yourself to play Osaka before the results happened, but is it tough at all during this round? Did you feel like it's an opponent that's not the one you expected? Or did you feel like you were a favorite when you could have been an underdog?
MADISON KEYS: I had no idea what the draw was. Not a clue. I only knew who was on what side obviously because we were all playing on the same day.

Other than that, I had no idea. I came off the court, and she had already won, so at that point, I was, like, Okay, cool.

Q. I know we talk to you about how well you do at the slams and sometimes it doesn't really matter how much you played coming in, but for you, does it feel like routine being this far at majors now?
MADISON KEYS: No, it doesn't (smiling). It's always special and stressful and an experience every single time. It's definitely something that I'm happy that I've gotten through to fourth rounds and quarterfinals now a couple times now. But it never, never feels routine.

Q. I saw an interview where you were asked, when did you realize you had made it as a tennis player? Your answer was you didn't feel like you had made it yet. I wanted to know, despite the success and achievements you have had so far, what is success to you? And what would make you feel like you had made it as a tennis player?
MADISON KEYS: I think feeling like you have had success and feeling like you have made it are two different things. I have obviously had some success, and, you know, I'm happy with a lot of the achievements that I have had in my career, but I still have a lot of goals and things that I want to accomplish.

So until those get ticked off, then I don't think I feel like I would say that I have made it.

Q. And what are those goals?
MADISON KEYS: That's just time -- that's long and there is a lot (smiling).

Q. You have had some big victories along the way in your career. I'm just wondering if you could maybe put yourself in your opponent's shoes today and explain what the challenges or difficulties are of trying to follow up a big win the next time out there?
MADISON KEYS: It's never an easy position to be in. You obviously have a really great win and everyone's excited and all that, and it's sometimes hard to just move on to the next round.

I think sometimes you also, after you have a big win, you put a little bit more pressure on yourself. So it's definitely never an easy position to be in after having a big upset and then trying to mellow out and follow it up the next round.

Q. There's two Americans in the quarters besides you and Sloane already, and Anisimova is playing later so she could make it three. Do other European players come to you now and ask you for tips on how to play on clay now that America has this so figured out?
MADISON KEYS: No, they don't (smiling). It's really great to see Sloane winning yesterday and hopefully Amanda can have a really great match today. It's great to have so many Americans into not even just the quarters, into the fourth round with Sonya earlier today.

Yeah, it's a nice change.

Q. Thoughts on Ash next.
MADISON KEYS: It's going to be a tough one. I think she's obviously playing well to make quarterfinals, and I didn't get to see how she played today, but I feel like clay actually suits her game really well with her kick serve and slice and all that. It's something I'm going to have to have a game plan set to be ready for her.

Q. You have probably spoken about this before, but if you would, you obviously have had real good success on clay. How have you adapted your game? What have you done to address the clay court play?
MADISON KEYS: I think in the past I have tried to go either stay as aggressive as I would on any other surface or go the complete other direction and get a little bit more passive and try to rally a bit more. So it's more just finding a middle ground than understanding that more balls are going to come back and not to panic or press more. That's been the biggest thing.

Q. I don't know if you saw the Twitter thread that Andrea Petkovic had about sort of her favorite things she's seen at the French Open, and one of them included your win over Blinkova, or parts of that match. And I'm curious if there are similar things you have seen at this tournament that have tickled your fancy in any memorable way? Moments watching, observing, whatever.
MADISON KEYS: I feel like every slam there's always matches or moments or anything like that. Wawrinka and Tsitsipas yesterday was incredible tennis. And then to see that whole match come down to Stan hitting a passing shot that's just touching -- like, it's things like that make tennis so special.

Like, I mean, like Andrea said, things can happen and it's so up and down and crazy, but it's really fun to not only be a part of but be able to watch.

Q. Roger was talking about the game, and he said it was never boring. Yet there is a lot of tedium, a lot of long practices and rehab. Talk about just the quality of boredom. Is it sometimes boring? Is it sometimes incredibly exciting? Talk about that.
MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think every aspect of life can be boring at times. But it's also, I think it would be exhausting if it was exciting all of the time. I think we'd all be dead as soon as we got onto the court.

I mean, it's life. Yes, we live this amazing life, we get to travel, we get to play matches, we have highs and lows, but we also have to go and practice every single day and do the exact same thing. Sometimes it can get monotonous but it's also part of the routine and part of what gives you confidence when you go on the court.

Q. Did you see Sloane yesterday against Muguruza? What did you think of that one? It was a tough match, obviously.
MADISON KEYS: I was searching for it everywhere, and I could only watch, like, a couple games into the second. I thought she played really well. I didn't get to see the first set, but I thought she played really well. I thought it was a good level from both.

Obviously a good match to get through, and I thought the last game was crazy. But obviously really happy that she got through that match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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