Madison Keys is on an unstoppable roll. “I’m really enjoying myself out there. Obviously just kind of riding the wave of momentum,” she declared after reaching the BNP Paribas Open semifinals, extending her remarkable 16-match winning streak. With five Adelaide wins, seven at the Australian Open, and her current Indian Wells surge, she’s performing with a vitality that defies her 30 years. What, then, is the key to her unwavering focus and composure?

After the major glory in January, Keys missed out on two crucial events in Doha and Dubai due to a leg injury in February. However, it doesn’t seem as if she was gone for long. The moment she returned in action at the Indian Wells, Keys announced her arrival with a dominating 6-3, 6-0 victory against Anastasia Potapova in R64.

She then kept going, defeating the likes of Elise Mertens, Donna Vekic, and Belinda Bencic in R32, R16 and the QF, respectively. She’s now into her first-ever Indian Wells semifinal, remaining unbeatable in 16 straight matches since losing in the quarter-final of the ASB Classic on 3 January. Guess what? It’s her best performance in a season when it comes to winning successive WTA encounters. Does she even feel what it’s like to lose anymore?

In a post-match presser, following her quarterfinal win on Thursday, Keys was asked regarding the golden phase she’s having in 2025. Emphasizing on the invincible streak, the reporter tried to ask if she’s become immune to defeats lately. With a humble gesture, she replied, “No, you still remember what losing feels like.” Explaining herself, Keys added, “That’s probably something that you’ll never really forget. I don’t think I’ve ever had a streak this long, but obviously would like for it to go even further.”

Before she won in Adelaide and Melbourne in January, she remained title-less for nearly a year since May 2024. Back then, she won at the Internationaux de Strasbourg. After that, however, it took her eight WTA events to win her next title.

Iga Swiatek’s 10-match winning streak: Swiatek’s pursuit of history continued as she advanced to her fourth consecutive Indian Wells semifinal on Thursday. Seeking to become the first woman to win the tournament three times, the second-seeded Polish player defeated eighth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China 6-3, 6-3. This victory avenged her semifinal loss to Zheng at the Paris Olympics last summer. Swiatek, the defending champion, now boasts a 10-match winning streak in Indian Wells, having previously won the title in 2022.

For the uninitiated, it’s her 12th Indian Wells campaign since she entered the event in 2013, when she was merely 18. 11 years yielded limited success, with her peak performance being a 2022 quarterfinal loss to former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. But she’s now got a chance to change the fate.

Madison Keys looks to clinch maiden Indian Wells title

While her journey so far in Indian Wells has been smooth, it may get rough on Saturday. Why? The World No.5 will face World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. These two are set to lock horns in the semifinal. For fans, it will be a rematch of their title clash from the Happy Slam, where Madison Keys beat the Belarusian to accomplish her Slam dream.

But it won’t be easy against someone like Sabalenka. After her heartbreaking loss down under, the three-time major queen couldn’t impress much on the court in subsequent events. At the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships, she was ousted very early in R32 and R16, respectively. However, Sabalenka has come back strongly at the Indian Wells.

She began her campaign last week with a win against American McCartney Kessler. After that, she went on to eliminate Lucia Bronzetti, Sonay Kartal, and Liudmila Samsonova. Unlike Keys, Aryna Sabalenka will have the chance to reach her second Indian Wells final, after 2023. Two years ago, she couldn’t lift the trophy against Elena Rybakina, who eventually won with a score line of 7-6, 6-4.

While Madison Keys might have an upper hand due to her last winning encounter against Sabalenka, the latter is still leading. Especially when it comes to the h2h tally. It’s 4-2 in favor of the World No.1. On Saturday, she will look to avenge her AO defeat against Keys. Through this match, the latter is also looking to secure her first WTA 1000 final appearance since the 2019 Cincinnati Masters.