Madison Keys has made a late decision to enter a lower-level tournament following her exit from the Italian Open.
Keys withdrew from the Madrid Open due to illness and lost her third round match to lucky loser Nikola Bartunkova in Rome.
As a result, Keys has been short on clay court matches ahead of Roland Garros this year.
Following her defeat in Rome, Keys has made the surprising decision to enter a lower-level WTA 125 tournament.
Madison Keys takes last-minute wildcard for WTA 125 event in Paris
Keys won the Australian Open just last year and is still the world number 19, but she has now decided to take a late wildcard into the WTA 125 tournament in Paris.
WTA 125 tournaments are a level below the main tour, but Keys has joined a blockbuster lineup in the French capital.
There are six top 50 players at the Trophée Clarins tournament, with Keys headlining the field alongside Leylah Fernandez, Maya Joint, Emma Navarro, Sara Bejlek and McCartney Kessler.
The WTA 125 event in Paris also has defending champion Katie Boulter and former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the draw.
Keys will only be able to gain a maximum of 125 points if she wins the title in Paris, so it is clear that this decision is more about playing matches than climbing the rankings.
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Madison Keys’ route to the title at the WTA 125 in Paris
Keys will be the big favorite to win the title in Paris, but she has some tricky opponents potentially standing in the way of her.
The American’s first opponent is former top 40 player Fiona Ferro, who Keys has never actually played before.
Keys could also face the likes of Boulter and Navarro, before a potential final meeting against Fernandez.
| Paris WTA 125 | Madison Keys’ potential opponent |
| First Round | Fiona Ferro |
| Second Round | Renata Zarazua/Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonoah |
| Qurterfinal | Katie Boulter (8)/Kimberly Birrell/Anastasia Zakharova/Madison Inglis |
| Semifinal | Emma Navarro (4)/Yulia Starodubtseva (7)/Shuai Zhang/Katie Volynets |
| Final | Leylah Fernandez (2)/Maya Joint (3)/Sara Bejlek (5)/McCartney Kessler (6) |
The WTA 125 tournament in Paris is not the only tournament Keys is entered into ahead of Roland Garros this year.
Keys is also scheduled to compete at the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg, where she won the title in 2024.
