Letting go of expectations: How Madison Keys defeated Jessica Pegula
Low expectations and an understanding that she doesn’t have to play the sport any more have helped Madison Keys find her best tennis in recent months
Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic
Madison Keys vs Jessica Pegula was being billed as one of the matches of the round, with two in-form American women squaring off against each other in front of a packed-out Arthur Ashe Stadium in the US Open round of 16.
And yet, an hour and one minute later, it was all over, with No 17 seed Keys blasting past world No 3 Pegula for the loss of only four games.
“Things just kind of went my way today,” Keys humbly suggested after the match.
But there’s more to it than this, with the American revealing some of the shifts in mindset she’s had this year that have enabled Keys to play her best tennis.
Lower expectations the key for Madison
Six years ago, Madison Keys made the US Open final as a 22-year-old. Following this propulsion to stardom, expectation and pressure surrounded the young American early in her career.
While Keys did back up her 2017 US Open performance with a semi-final at Roland-Garros the following year, the 28-year-old has explained that now she has fully let go of any expectations, both internal and external, she’s able to enjoy the game much more.
“This year I just have been trying honestly not to have any expectations and just go out and play tennis and just focus on that,” Keys explained.
“[My] mental health is definitely a lot better when I’m playing with lower expectations and not putting as much pressure on myself and just kind of having a better approach to the game, having it, you know, really just trying to be a lot more fun and focusing on that.”
Keys’ mental health helped by strong performance in 2023
Part of Madison Keys’ ability to let go of worrying about expectations comes from the fact that she’s largely fulfilled many of them, making back-to-back Grand Slam quarter-finals in 2023.
There’s also a reality of the stage of career that the 28-year-old is at, where she’s no longer having to fight tooth and nail just to get by.
“I mean, after all these years playing, it’s kind of the point now where I don’t have to be out here anymore,” the American reflected. “I get to be out here.”
“As long as I’m having fun and choose to be out here, then I’m going to continue playing, but kind of taking away that extra kind of feeling of, like, I have to do this and if things go wrong, then what am I going to do, has been much better for my mental health.”
Clearly, Keys has found a great balance between expectations and performance, with the world No 17 blasting 21 winners to defeat the third best player in the world within the space of an hour.
