Madison Keys had a WTA Finals tournament to forget as she failed to pick up a win and suffered from illness.
Keys qualified for the tournament as the seventh seed, which was bolstered by her brilliant Australian Open win at the turn of the year.
The star failed to find that form at the Saudi Arabia tournament as she lost to Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova, before dropping out of the tournament before her last game with Elena Rybakina.
One of Keys’ best-ever seasons ended in difficult fashion, but it didn’t stop the American from being proud of her season.
Madison Keys speaks after being knocked out of the WTA Finals
Keys’ WTA Finals might not have gone to plan, but that didn’t stop the American from reflecting on an incredibly successful season.
Taking to Instagram just a day after confirming her exit from the tournament, Keys wrote: “Not how I wanted the story to end, but at the beginning of the year I had the goal of making year-end finals again and for that I’m so proud of all of the work my team and I put in to make that goal happen.”
The star cemented her place in the top eight of the rankings in January, with back-to-back victories in Adelaide and the Australian Open.
Keys defeated three of the top 10 en route to her maiden Grand Slam trophy with victories against Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Rybakina.
Her season might not have taken off in the way some fans might have imagined, but staying at the top of the rankings all season was impressive.
Keys reached the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open and Roland Garros, as well as the semi-finals of Queen’s and Indian Wells.
Madison Keys made a WTA Finals record despite her early exit
Keys’ late career form in 2025 helped her gain just her second WTA Finals qualification in her career, with the first coming in 2016.
The American earned the record of biggest gap between her first two WTA Finals appearances, according to OptaAce.
Keys took the record from fellow American Amy Frazier, who appeared at the 1992 tournament and then the 2000 event.
The American picked up one win at the 2016 tournament by defeating Dominika Cibulková in straight sets in the round robin phase.
That was quite the scalp, as the seventh seed went on defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova and Angelique Kerber to lift the trophy.
