“I’ve thought of that match endlessly” – Keys returns to Grand Slam final eight years on from New York heartbreak

Around seven years and four months ago, a 22-year-old home hope from Rock Island, Illinois, burst onto the sport’s centre stage by storming into her first US Open final with a powerful brand of high-octane, first-strike tennis.

Since losing that 2017 final in New York, Madison Keys has reached another four Grand Slam semi-finals, adding to the one she reached as a 19-year-old at the 2015 Australian Open. But she had yet to retake that last step back into a major final.

Her career oscillated between promising resurgences and moments of great struggle, periodically punctuated by bursts of brilliance reminiscent of the form shown in her wonderful run at the US Open.

Keys’ quality was never in any doubt. But struggles with motivation, the pressure of expectation and injury woes typical of the relentless grind of professional tennis all posed a serious question as to the American’s ability to fulfil her long-held potential.

But at this year’s Australian Open, Keys’ raw talent has shone through once again in the most remarkable fashion – the results of which are nothing short of breathtaking.

“I would be lying if I said that there wasn’t doubts,” she admitted in her post-most press conference after sealing a seismic win over Iga Swiatek to return to her first Grand Slam final since that 2017 run.

“I mean, I’ve obviously thought of that match [against Sloane Stephens in the 2017 US Open final] endlessly for the past eight year,” she continued.

“I think during that match, I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment and the opportunity and all of that, that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play.

“I think that I’ve done a lot of work trying to not get rid of nerves because I think in the past in my head it was kind of always the people who play amazing in the tight moments, they either don’t have nerves or they figure out how to get rid of them, instead of being able to play tennis with them.”

This was evident in the closing stages of a truly captivating victory over the world No 2 in the Australian Open semi-finals.

As the five-time champion tightened up in the biggest moments, it was Keys who was able to swing freely, so impressively producing her finest tennis when it mattered most.

She has done this repeatedly throughout the fortnight in Melbourne Park this year. Her six victories en route to the final have included a three-set win over former finalist Elena Rybakina, a hard-fought battle against the resurgent Elina Svitolina and today’s epic triumph over the imperious Iga.

lessons learnt from 2017 for keys heading into the final

Keys certainly no longer looks like a player who carries any scars from painful past losses.

“I think the big thing for me has just been knowing that there are going to be a lot of moments where I’m uncomfortable in the match. It’s going to be stressful. You have thousands of people watching you. You might not be playing your best tennis,” Keys explained.

“But instead of trying to shy away from that and search for settling or comfort or anything, just being okay that that’s the situation, and you can also play tennis through that, I think is something that I’ve been working really hard on.

“I think that’s probably one of the biggest lessons that I can take from that US Open final and just be okay with knowing that I’m probably going to be uncomfortable 99% of the time that I’m on the court, and that’s okay, and I can still also play tennis through that.”

Now 29 years old, and an experienced, well-liked and well-established member of the game’s leading names, Keys appears as well prepared as she possibly could be for what awaits her in Saturday’s final.

Namely, two-time defending champion and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Keys is under no illusion as to the size of the task in store if she is to put the demons of 2017 behind her and win a maiden Grand Slam title.

But after a performance of the magnitude she produced against Swiatek in the semi-final, toppling the current Queen of Melbourne to right the wrongs of over seven years of Grand Slam heartbreak is not only eminently possible for the American, it is in fact well within Key’s reach.

Time will tell if, this time, she can grasp it.

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