Jakub Mensik, Miami champion, was going to pull out of the tournament an hour before his first match

MIAMI, USA—Rest, time with family and lots of practice: That’s been the recipe for Madison Keys over the last few days as she seeks to hit the mental reset button after her semifinal rout to Aryna Sabalenka at Indian Wells.

The No. 5-seeded American will kick off her Miami Open presented by Itau campaign on Friday, hitting the court at what is essentially her home tournament. The 27-year-old trained for years at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, and now lives in Orlando with husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.

That’s exactly where they went after departing from Palm Springs, says Keys, as she took to the practice courts the next day to “figure some things out.”

“By the time that I was on the practice court, I was pretty clearheaded and ready to work for the Miami Open,” she told press in Miami.

Keys started the season on a high, claiming her long awaited first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, after taking home the title in Adelaide. She won 14 of her first 15 matches in 2025, and took a break after Melbourne to recharge.

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The decision paid off, as Keys put together a strong run to the semifinals in her first tournament since becoming major champion—her best result in the California desert.

But that’s where she ran up against familiar foe Sabalenka—her opponent in the Australian Open final as Keys gutted out a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win. The world No. 1 was focused on getting revenge, and in their Indian Wells semifinal rematch Keys managed just one game against Sabalenka in a 6-0, 6-1 stunner.

“For me, the loss last week just felt very frustrating. I couldn’t find my game, and being in that position is never really super enjoyable, as you could probably imagine,” Keys reflected.

“…But I think there’s also the perspective of looking at the big picture of the year. I’ve had a lot of really great matches, and I’ve been able to figure things out in a lot of situations.

“So I think it’s just one of those ones: Some days you have a really bad day and you can’t quite find things, so get back on the practice court and figure some things out to get ready for the next one.”

"Some days you have a really bad day and you can’t quite find things, so get back on the practice court and figure some things out to get ready for the next one,” Keys told press in Miami.

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Despite the disappointment, Keys is focused on the positives after strong performances against the likes of world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina and No. 10 seed Danielle Collins on her way to the AO title.

She also relishes the new perspective and “freedom” on court that her new Grand Slam champion status has afforded her.

“I think in a lot of ways, it’s made me want more, because that was really fun! I definitely want to do that again,” Keys said of winning her first major. “But I think there’s also a little bit of freedom, just because it felt like something that was expected of me for a really long time. Being able to move past that on a personal level, it really just helped me enjoy tennis a little bit more.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to be able to play with that freedom.”

Keys, the No. 5 seed in Miami, will face Elina Avanesyan in the second round after a bye. The Armenian took down Russian wildcard Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-4 on Court 3 on Wednesday to advance.

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