"Doing it later in my career has been something that I’m incredibly proud of": Madison Keys finds solace in late bloom ahead of WTA Finals

As she prepares for the WTA Finals, Madison Keys reflects on a breakthrough 2025 season, her perspective on success, and why she’s learning to savour every step of the journey as she became a Grand Slam champion and has revelled in doing it as an older player.

Keys at 30 played last in the event in 2016 and has of course come a long way in nearly 10 years when she was in her early 20's, she is now married and despite always believing that she could do what she did admitted herself that it gets harder as the years go on. But heading into Riyadh, she has also avoided burn out and taken time after her greatest triumph to reflect and relax. All of this amid a pretty incredibly busy tennis schedule.

“Oh wow, this is really dramatic,” she laughs to the WTA's YouTube channel. “This is so weird — it’s very Wizard of Oz. I’m like talking to the wizard behind the curtain while staring at myself. It’s a little strange.”

That humour and honesty are trademarks of Keys, who admits she’s never been one to hide how she feels. “I think I’m perceived pretty spot on,” she says. “I feel like I’m not very closed off — I kind of tell you how I feel. I’m not great at hiding how I feel or what I’m thinking. I always say I think my face is a little bit too loud sometimes. I try to be honest and authentic, and I hope that’s how people see me.”

It’s been a year worth reflecting on. Keys calls 2025 “arguably the best year” of her career — a season defined by consistency, big runs, and the crowning moment of winning her first Grand Slam title. “I’ve had a lot of amazing tournaments, and winning a Grand Slam is obviously the top of my list,” she says with a smile. “Doing it later in my career has been something that I’m incredibly proud of. But again, there’s just that tennis player inside of me that wants a little bit more.”

That restless hunger is something Keys recognises as part of every great champion’s DNA. “Am I fully satisfied? I don’t know if any of us ever will be,” she reflects. “It’s interesting because you hear people like Serena or Novak speak, and they always wanted more. And you look at their careers and think, you did everything — how could you possibly want more? So I think it’s just ingrained in all of us to not fully be satisfied.”

For Keys, though, fulfilment has taken on a different meaning as she’s grown older. Winning still matters, but so does everything that surrounds it — the shared effort, the relationships, the process. “I’ve had a lot of really happy moments on court,” she says. “I think I’ve come to realise as I’ve gotten older that a lot of it doesn’t have to do specifically with winning. It has a lot more to do with getting to enjoy it with all the people that I got to enjoy it with.”

It’s a lesson first planted years ago by her former coach and mentor, Lindsay Davenport. “Earlier in my career, Lindsay actually told me, ‘Always enjoy the climb, because that’s the fun part,’” Keys recalls. “Tennis keeps you looking forward because there’s always a tournament next week. So I’ve really tried to get a lot better at stopping, celebrating, and embracing it. I’ve actually really tried to get a lot better at enjoying the happy moments.”

That sense of self-awareness extends beyond tennis. When asked what she sees when she looks in the mirror, Keys pauses before answering thoughtfully. “When I look into the mirror, I see myself,” she says. “I think that’s kind of the one constant that you always have. It’s the same person I’ve been looking at for the last 30 years.”