New York: Madison Keys, the American tennis ace, expressed her disappointment after her heartbreaking loss to Russian player Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open semifinals. Despite taking a one-set lead and keeping the match competitive through two tiebreak sets, Keys ultimately fell to Sabalenka, the second seed, with a final score of 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6[10-5], in a late-night semifinal match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This victory propelled Sabalenka into her first-ever final appearance at the US Open, requiring her to stage a remarkable comeback from the brink of defeat.
During the post-match press conference, Keys provided concise responses and refrained from attributing her loss to what seemed to be a leg injury. She expressed, “At the start of the tournament, everyone would obviously be really excited to be in the semis. Right now it sucks. But yeah, I just think being able to, you know, take this and turn it into a positive is really possible. There is still a lot to be proud of and still tons of tennis to play this season.”
Despite the current disappointment, Keys, who has faced tough losses in the past, including the 2017 final, believes in her ability to bounce back. She shared her thoughts on the experience, saying, “Playing in a stadium full of people that are behind me is always amazing. I definitely tried to leave it all out there tonight and do my best, and that’s all you can do,” as she spoke emotionally during the press conference following the match.
In an unpredictable encounter, Sabalenka was on the verge of defeat, trailing 6-0, 5-3, before staging a remarkable turnaround to secure a 3-1 lead in her head-to-head battle with Keys. Sabalenka also had to mount a comeback in the third set before ultimately triumphing in a match-tiebreak, concluding the match after two hours and 32 minutes of intense competition.
