USA TODAY International Edition
Olympian Madison Keys discusses U. S. Open, Ryan Lochte,
Madison Keys came as close to winning an Olympic medal as one could, losing her bronze medal match to Petra Kvitova in three sets. It stung. She’s in New York, where the U. S. Open begins next week. USA TODAY Sports’ Charlotte Wilder caught up with her by phone.
Q: First of all, you had to withdraw from the Connecticut Open due to a neck injury. How’s your neck doing?
A: It’s a little bit better; it’s OK now. It was just not going to be OK for a match yesterday. You know when you sleep weird, or something happens, and you wake up and you can’t even look behind you to drive?
Q: Will you be OK to play in the U. S. Open next week?
A: Yeah, I think it’ll be OK with a little more time.
Q: That’s great. We’ll get back to the Open in a bit, but first we absolutely have to talk about the Olympics.
A: Yes, the Olympics were incredible. It still kind of kills me that I was so close to a medal and I just missed it. But I got a great piece of paper that says fourth place on it, so that helps. ( Laughs.) No, I mean, more than any of the disappointment that I feel, or felt, for not getting a medal, it was such an amazing experience, and it was so incredible to get to represent my country. Also, it was amazing just being a part of such a big team, in the sense that anytime you saw someone in the ( Olympic) Village with Team USA stuff on, you’d acknowledge each other. Like, “We’re on the same team. Go, you!” It was really incredible. And then walking out for the opening ceremony with this massive group of American athletes was probably one of the best moments of my life.
Q: What did it feel like?
A: I still get chills talking about it. Just walking out all together, that was when I felt like we were truly a part of a team. That’s so special, just because we ( tennis players) very rarely get to play on a team.
Q: Were there any non- tennis players at the Olympics you were excited to meet?
A: There wasn’t really anyone I met where it was like, “Oh, my God. This is so cool.” I mean, we saw some of the basketball players. But it was just cool, because it made everyone seem so down to earth and human. Especially for those of us who were there for the first time. And even for those who weren’t there for the first time, they were like, “It never stops. This feeling is always there at the Olympics.” But it was really funny, because everyone kept asking Serena ( Williams) for pictures. And being around her all the time, you forget she’s so wellknown and popular. And then you get thrown into it, and you’re like, “Oh, right, she’s, like, super, super recognizable and famous.”
Q: Do you feel like the ( Ryan) Lochte narrative has taken away from the more positive stories to come out of the Games?
A: I feel like it was definitely a shame, just because there were so many great stories that came from there. It’s kind of a shame that this story kind of took over a lot of that. But I don’t think he did anything intentionally. It was just a bad decision, and it kind of went from there. But I think, at the end of the day, there was so much positivity from the Olympics and we had such a great time. Even though ( Lochte) was definitely a big incident, I don’t think that will be the one singular thing we remember.
Q: Getting back to the U. S. Open, how are you feeling about it?
A: I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s always fun getting to play the last Slam at home. It’s so special, and you feel like there’s such support here. So every time I come here, I’m always so excited to play. I really just want to go out and do my absolute best. When I walk off the court, if I know I’ve left it all out there, my absolute best, win or lose, then I’m going to be happy.
Q: How does it feel to be the first ( U. S.) woman to break the top 10 since Serena did so in 1999?
A: It feels good. I was really surprised when I first heard that stat. There must’ve been so many players close to breaking into the top 10. But it makes me really proud of myself. My hard work is showing. But at the end of the day, I definitely want more.
Q: That drive, never being completely satisfied until you’ve made it to the top, seems like it’s what fuels you.
A: Yeah, you know, as soon as I achieve a goal, I’m happy and excited. But I refocus, and now I want more. You can be proud of yourself for reaching a certain goal, but I think what gets me out of bed on those days I don’t feel like practicing is knowing I’ve gotten myself here and now I want more.
Q: What’s your training schedule like?
A: I practice usually five times a week, anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours, depending on the day, on court. Then for an hour and a half in the gym.
Q: Are you very regimented about what you eat?
A: I actually really enjoy eating healthy. I think it makes me feel better. But everything in moderation, you know? I have such a sweet tooth, so two or three times a week I have ice cream or chocolate.
Q: So what’s next for you after the Open?
A: After the Open we have a little bit of time, and then we head to China for the last part of our year. I’ll go home for a little bit. I’m partially in Florida, but my family lives in Iowa. So when I have a little time off, I try to go home to Iowa. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to be home for more than like three days. Hopefully I’ll get home and get to stay there a bit.