Madison Keys has withdrawn from the 2026 Madrid Open.
The 2025 Australian Open champion was scheduled to play China’s Zhang Shuai in the second round, but has now been replaced by Austria’s Anastasia Potapova.
Who is the greatest player to have only won one Grand Slam title?
So many to choose from…
Keys has yet to play a match on European clay this year, although she did reach the semi-finals of the Charleston Open earlier this month.
But why did the 16th seed withdraw from Madrid?
Madison Keys withdraws from the Madrid Open due to illness
As reported by the WTA website, Keys cited ‘illness’ as the reason for her withdrawal.
The withdrawal comes as a surprise to many, as Keys was seen practising in Madrid yesterday.
Unfortunately for the 31-year-old, she wasn’t fit to compete, and withdrew from the event just half an hour before her opening match.
Keys reached the quarter-finals in Madrid last year, meaning she will drop 215 points from her total.
She currently sits 18th in the ‘Live WTA Rankings’, but could well fall out of the top 20 by the end of the Madrid Open.
Live WTA Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 14 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Russia | 2,679 |
| 15 | Naomi Osaka | Japan | 2,286 |
| 16 | Iva Jovic | USA | 2,235 |
| 17 | Clara Tauson | Denmark | 2,040 |
| 18 | Madison Keys | USA | 1,947 |
| 19 | Diana Shnaider | Russia | 1,946 |
| 20 | Liudmilla Samsonova | Russia | 1,840 |
| 21 | Elise Mertens | Belgium | 1,803 |
| 22 | Anna Kalinskaya | Russia | 1,758 |
| 23 | Leylah Fernandez | Canada | 1,701 |
The American was ranked as high as fifth in the world last year, following her Australian Open triumph.
She has failed to maintain that Grand Slam-winning level, though, and hasn’t won another title since lifting the trophy down under…
Madison Keys’ record so far in 2026
Keys enjoyed the best January of her career last year, winning the Adelaide International and Australian Open back-to-back.
Returning to defend those titles in 2026, things didn’t quite go to plan.
First, Keys lost to Victoria Mboko in the Adelaide International quarter-finals, before falling to her close friend, Jessica Pegula, in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
She then struggled at the ‘Sunshine Double’, winning just two matches.
The Charleston Open provided some hope, but fans will have to wait to see if that success translates onto the European clay.
Madison Keys’ results in 2026
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins | Defeat |
| Brisbane International | Quarter-final | 2 (McCartney Kessler, Diana Shnaider) | Aryna Sabalenka |
| Adelaide International | Quarter-final | 1 (Tereza Valentova) | Victoria Mboko |
| Australian Open | Fourth round | 3 (Oleksandra Oliynykova, Ashlyn Krueger, Karolina Pliskova) | Jessica Pegula |
| Indian Wells | Third round | 1 (Diane Parry) | Sonay Kartal |
| Miami Open | Third round | 1 (Elena-Gabriela Ruse) | Qinwen Zheng |
| Charleston Open | Semi-final | 3 (Donna Vekic, Anna Bondar, Belinda Bencic) | Yulia Starodubtseva |
| Madrid Open | Withdrew | – | – |
She has accumulated 781 points this year and sits 17th in the ‘Live WTA Race’.
Unless things change fast, it doesn’t look like she will return to the WTA Finals later this year.
What’s next for Madison Keys?
Assuming the illness doesn’t keep her out of action for long, the American should return in Rome for the Italian Open.
Keys is a former finalist in Rome, losing to Serena Williams back in 2016.
What she would do for a repeat of that result ten years on!
The 2026 Italian Open begins on Tuesday, May 5.
