Madison Keys was 11 years old when she was first told she could win a grand slam. She remembered the excitement she felt, realising the skills and talents she possessed as a junior had the potential to grow into trophies, titles and life-changing success. At 14, Keys played her first professional match. A year later, she won her first tournament on the ITF circuit. Everyone could see the direction Keys was heading in, as if her destiny was written.
Then, at 22, Keys reached her first grand slam final at the US Open. In the biggest match of her life and on the biggest court in tennis, she was blown away by Sloane Stephens in just 61 minutes. The defeat was devastating. For Keys, as time progressed and the years slipped away without a major, the expectation of fulfilling her potential turned into a “burden”. The American became overwhelmed by the fear of failure, of the thought of ending her career with nothing to show for it.
