It was the 2023 US Open semifinal. Aryna Sabalenka was up against the local favorite, Madison Keys. The latter began the match with a bang, inflicting a bagel on Sabalenka in the opening set. However, in a mother of all comebacks, the Belarusian star came back strongly to win the next two sets in the tiebreakers to complete a three-set win over the American star. It was a crushing blow to Keys’ hopes of winning a Grand Slam title as she had come close on numerous occasions but fell in the dying stages of the tournaments. With just weeks left for the next edition of the US Open, Keys issued a stern response to a reporter who brought back the memories from that crushing US Open defeat.

Earlier this year, Keys appeared in the Internationaux de Strasbourg, a WTA 500 event on clay. The American star went right to the distance, winning a title after a long time. However, during the tournament, she was asked an unnecessary question, which invited a stern reaction from her.

The reporter asked Keys how she felt after coming close to winning big tournaments but didn’t taste success. Additionally, she was reminded of her crushing loss against Sabalenka at the US Open last year. Replying to the question with a wry smile, Keys said, “Well, I’m thinking about them now. They probably keep you up more than they do me?”

Specifically speaking, Keys has made the final of a Grand Slam tournament once and reached the semifinals on five occasions. However, she suffered defeats in all those matches and has yet to win a major title. Furthermore, she also narrowly missed out on a podium finish at the 2016 Olympic Games, finishing 4th after losing the bronze medal playoff match.

Last month, Keys pulled out of the Wimbledon Championships midway owing to a hamstring injury. However, she is back on the court and gave an update on her physical state.

Madison Keys all set for the US Open swing

The American tennis star missed the Paris Olympic Games due to health reasons. Keys had a vital recovery session during that period and is looking good for the US Open swing. Eyeing the najor at Flushing Meadows later this month, the 29-year-old updated her fans on the injury status that she suffered at Wimbledon.

Keys mentioned, “So many of you have been asking for an update on my injury and I really appreciate all your messages. The leg is feeling a lot better and my rehab has been going really well. Luckily the injury wasn’t too severe so hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

The 2017 US Open finalist will be seen in action at the Canadian Open next. She is the seventh seed there and a dark horse to lift the title. A win in Canada will do her confidence a world of good ahead of the US Open, won’t it?