BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 15, 2022

Madison Keys

Press Conference

M. KEYS/H. Dart

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Could you talk about your match today.

MADISON KEYS: Yeah, really happy to get the win here today. First time in the quarterfinals. That's a bonus.

I think I played a really solid first set, gave myself a lot of opportunities the second set. Was just happy I was able to capitalize on it, keep it pretty short and sweet.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A lot of good hard court players have had a tough time here. Seems like you unlocked something about playing here.

MADISON KEYS: I think it's just accepting the courts are going to be slow. I think in the past maybe I've almost been trying to fight that. Just accepting that it is what it is, points are probably going to be a little bit longer, just accepting that and trying to figure it out from there.

Q. At the end in the game that you broke her, you hit a big forehand return that by my eyes looked like one of the bigger ones that you've hit. Did that just feel completely flush? Did it feel as big as it looked?

MADISON KEYS: I don't think anything I ever hit feels as big as it looks (smiling). Sometimes it surprises me, honestly, coming off my racquet.

I mean, it felt good. It felt clean, so kind of the perfect situation for it to come off of the racquet well.

Q. Talk about the game you played to break her.

MADISON KEYS: I think in the second set I was kind of trying to find the line between being aggressive but also not doing too much because I felt like when I was staying in rallies and things like that, I was making her miss balls.

I think in return games I was maybe getting a little too passive and not kind of getting the air out of her, just giving her the opportunity to move me around or things like that.

I really just kind of buckled down at the beginning of that game. If I got a second serve, I was going to be more aggressive. When I got the opportunity, I was going to go for it.

Just kind of stepped away a little bit from the more consistent, passive play I thought I'd been doing earlier that set.

Q. When players are in a good place in their lives, you hear they're settled, okay off the court. Is that a real thing?

MADISON KEYS: I would say probably so, but also I've probably been playing well when things aren't great off the court. I don't know if that's 100% true.

I think when we have a really good just mentality and attitude about what's going on in our lives in general, just our day-to-day self, it just makes tennis that much easier.

Q. Do you feel that this year? Do you feel you're in this place that allows you to kind of play freely?

MADISON KEYS: I think I've made a really conscious decision to just try to put myself in the best position that I can on the tennis court, and remind myself why I started playing tennis, just enjoy that part of it.

It's just, I think, obviously translating.

Q. You said you sent your coach to watch Dart play before your match. When you are facing someone like Swiatek where there's more of an archive on analysis available of their game, do you still have your coach watch them on-site?

MADISON KEYS: My coach -- if he can watch in person, he watches in person. If he can't, he watches as many things as he can find online. It's pretty much the same every match.

Q. The process you described, talked about in Australia, of trying to find that centered place, is that a daily process, hourly process?

MADISON KEYS: Depends on the day (smiling).

I think there's obviously some days that it's just much easier. You wake up, feel good, you know it's going to be fine. There's other days where you wake up and you get up on the wrong side of the bed and you have to make the conscious decision to not let that bleed into everything.

That's just what I've been trying to do, just be really grateful for everything that I have, just be very aware of the past two years has been pretty chaotic. There's been a lot going on, and there's a lot to be thankful for. So constantly reminding myself of that.

Q. Talk about the process of accepting these courts are far slower than you would like. Is that something that happened naturally or did you work on it?

MADISON KEYS: Honestly, I just kind of knew that points were going to last longer, just thought to myself if that's what's going to have to happen, then that's what it is. Just trying to give myself the best opportunity to stay in points as long as I can and try to just work the ball around, then waiting until I have the right opportunity to go for whatever I want to go for.

Q. I saw a video recently where you were talking about your role models. One person you named was Naomi Osaka. She had her moment here with the heckler who derailed her. With all the kindness initiatives you're doing, wonder what you made of that moment?

MADISON KEYS: I mean, it was obviously hard to watch. I don't think anyone enjoyed watching that happen.

But, I mean, honestly, I just hope that she is getting any sort of help that she needs to be able to handle those sorts of things. It's unfortunate something like that happened. Hopefully she's not in that position ever again, but if she is in that position then there's just some sort of process to be able to handle that and move on from it.

No one wants to see her in that position.

Q. Do you have a process yourself if and when something happens, in person or online, to shake it off?

MADISON KEYS: I mean, I think honestly I don't know if I've ever been in the position where it's happened on court, in a way like that. I can't speak on how I would handle that just because it hasn't happened to me.

But, I mean, as far as online, honestly I've just stopped looking at it. Honestly don't care (smiling).

Q. Could you talk on your next match against Iga. What do you make of her as a player? What do you make of her game?

MADISON KEYS: I think she's an incredible player. She's obviously done very well this year, has had a lot of wins. Coming off of winning a title.

I think she moves incredibly well. Jessie and I were actually talking about that in the middle of our doubles. Her ability to slide into everything is incredible. She moves really well. She defends really well. She's very good at immediately taking advantage of any situation.

I think she's very good, and there's a reason she's winning matches that she's winning.

Q. How did you start talking about Iga in the middle of a doubles match?

MADISON KEYS: I don't know. We talk about a lot of things (laughter).