Madison Keys denied chance to play ATX Open due to WTA ruling after Australian Open win

America’s Madison Keys have been denied entry into an ATP 250 event because of an interesting reason. The 29-year-old recently achieve the biggest prize of her career as she lifted her maiden Grand Slam in Melbourne. Keys defeated the current world number one and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-6. In the semifinal, she defeated world number two Poland’s Iga Swiatek in a feisty clash with a score of 5-7, 6-1, 7-6.

With that performance, Keys cemented her spot in the top-10 in WTA rankings. She is now ranked seventh in the world in women’s tennis. Interestingly, her recent success became the reason why the Rock-Island-born tennis star will not be able to compete in the upcoming ATX Open.

As per the WTA rules, any 250 event can only feature one top-10 player. In this case, 2024 US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula has already been assured of a spot in the main draw of the competition, and therefore, Keys will now miss out on the competition. At the time of confirming participation in the ATX Open, the one-time Grand Slam winner was world number 21. However, her recent triumph Down Under helped her gain 14 spots in the WTA Rankings, disqualifying her from the upcoming competition.

The tournament will be played from February 24 to March, and some big-name players will be featured. It will be only the third edition of the competition. Last year, it was China’s Yue Yuan who ended up lifting the title after beating fellow countrywoman Xiyu Wang in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 7-6. In the inaugural edition in 2023, it was Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk who lifted the title after beating France’s Varvara Gracheva in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-5.