M. KEYS/L. Samsonova
5-7, 7-5, 3-0 [Ret.]
THE MODERATOR: Madi, congratulations, into your first final of 2025. Could you just give us your thoughts on the match, and how you came back in that second set to take it.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I feel like playing a really tough opponent, obviously, and I think she was playing incredibly well at the start, so just trying to stay in it and just get my opportunities. Obviously not how you want to finish. I think just really proud of myself for being able to stay in the match and give myself the opportunity to get the win.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. I know you probably get asked this every time you come here, about your record in Australia and success here and whatnot, but do you actually do anything different, is the preparation for this swing different in any way to any other travel that you do, or preparation for other tournaments that you do?
MADISON KEYS: Well, I think it's unique because we actually are coming with time off, so we're always a little bit fresh. I always really enjoy it here. Typically, the courts play pretty fast here, and I've always really liked that. I just, I don't know, I just always have felt really great playing in Australia, and I feel like I kind of lean into that, and being able to have as much success as I have had here, I just feel quite comfortable on a lot of these courts.
Q. Just considering that, how confident are you ahead of the final now, and obviously you've been playing some really strong tennis, what's sort of your assessment of your form at the moment?
MADISON KEYS: I think I'm playing pretty well. Obviously serving kind of got me out of some tricky spots today, which is always a good sign. But, yeah, I think we worked on a lot of different things during the off-season, and my goal was really just to try to start putting those things into matches when it matters, and that's really just been my focus and goal. Being able to go out and kind of consistently do that so far this season has been really good, and I think keeping that as the focus has been why I've been able to continue playing well.
Q. What's your assessment of your two possible opponents next, and if you happen to get Jess?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I mean, obviously Jess and I are quite close, so it would be really fun to be able to play her in a final. I think they're both incredibly tough opponents in very different ways.
Yulia is, I mean, such a fighter, and kind of is capable of doing a whole lot of different things, and just really kind of thrives on making people uncomfortable, and trying to figure out how to almost steal matches consistently, I think she's so good at that.
Then there's Jess, who I think is, I mean, I tell her all the time, like, You're the greatest ball striker I've ever seen. She's had a phenomenal, however many years it's been now, where she's just been so consistent. Both a big challenge, but in different ways.
Q. Did you just get married?
MADISON KEYS: I did just get married.
Q. Do you feel any different?
MADISON KEYS: Yes and no, I guess. I think no in the sense of we've been together for a lot of years, and we left the home that we live in and we went home to the home that we live in. But I think, I don't know, I think there's just always a little bit of a different feel after you get married.
Q. Does it give you a different perspective coming into a season as a married lady rather than all the single ladies?
MADISON KEYS: I don't know if I would say it's kind of done that. I will say I think it's kind of changed my perspective just on kind of where I am in life, I guess. I don't think that, if you told me when I was 14 that I would be playing when I was married, it just felt so far away. I think that I feel very, obviously very happy. We had a wonderful weekend with all of our friends and family. I think it just was such a nice moment where you get to kind of see every person from your life, from all different times of your life, in one place for the first time ever. I think that really brings you a sense of, obviously you're creating your own family, but on the bigger scale you get to see this massive group of people that you love, and I think it just really kind of gives you a sense of community that I think sometimes you don't always appreciate because it's not right in front of you.
Q. Back to tennis, when do you start really looking to the Australian Open, or has it already come into your mind, now that the draw has been done, and you know who you're playing, etcetera?
MADISON KEYS: I have no idea who I'm playing.
Q. I'm not going to tell you.
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, no, don't tell me (smiling). I would be lying if I said that there's not a, I think there's kind of always a sense of a little bit more heightened stress that all of us feel the weekend going into a slam. I have been really focused on just being in this tournament right now, and I've been really working on just trying to stay present and not worrying about the future. Right now my biggest concern is what am I going to do for dinner, and then I'll worry about who I play tomorrow, and then past that then we'll start worrying about who I play in Melbourne.
Q. So, on that score, it will be only once you're done over here that you'll really look at who you're playing, and do you look at the whole picture, because speaking with Jess yesterday about that she's like, Yeah, I know who I'm playing and that, and she said, I look, I evaluate what's possible.
MADISON KEYS: I never look. I'm usually walking into press and someone is telling me who I'm playing the next round, or what could happen or something like that. I've never really looked. I find that I much prefer to just kind of take things one bite at a time and worry about what's directly in front of me.
Jess is a whole different beast (laughing). She's already asking for scouting reports and everything, so, we're very different in that regard.
Q. Have you told her much about Maya Joint?
MADISON KEYS: Yeah, I gave her the whole thing, but I was, like, I don't even know you played her (laughing). I haven't looked at the draw at all, which she could never believe, because she's factored in every single possible scenario that could happen, and she's somehow prepared for all of it. I'm just kind of walking through life winging it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports