Madison Keys has enjoyed the best season of her career in 2025, as it was the one in which she finally won a Grand Slam title.
A finalist in previous years and a multiple-time semi-finalist too, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career, laden with trophies and deep runs at elite events.
However, that ultimate goal consistently eluded her, with her closest shave coming at the US Open, where she was beaten by Sloane Stephens in the 2017 final.
That all changed earlier this year, when she did the unthinkable, beating Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in consecutive matches to win the Australian Open.
And yet, despite all that, some fans are still getting one thing about her wrong.
Madison Keys on what people keep saying to her
Speaking on her new podcast, where she is joined by compatriots Jenny Brady, Desirae Krawczyk and Jessica Pegula, they all shared various experiences they have had with fans that have made them laugh or raise an eyebrow.
The latter of this quartet recalled a time when one woman kissed her, before Keys then pointed out a regular issue she has with supporters who get one thing wrong about her, time and time again.
She admitted: “I don’t understand because, like, respectfully, Jessica, I’m much taller than you are.
“But it’s like the number one thing that people keep saying to me lately. It’s like, I’ll see them for the first time in person. And they’re like, you’re so tall. And I’m like, do I look short on TV or something?
“Like, I’m so confused.”
This was likely recorded before Keys’ disastrous US Open campaign, halted in the very first round by Renata Zarazúa.
This came after Keys rated the US Open atmosphere ahead of the tournament.
Madison Keys suffers early exit from US Open
Keys unsurprisingly cut a downbeat figure after her early exit at the US Open, speaking to reporters to try and process what had just happened.
Nerves were obviously a factor, and she was open and honest in dealing with these emotions: “The reality is it usually builds. You always kind of feel first-round jitters, and as the day is getting closer, you feel more and more nervous.
“I wasn’t seeing things the way I wanted to, which resulted in a lot of bad decisions and lazy footwork.”
Keys hit 89 unforced errors on her way to her three-set defeat, marking a sad conclusion to her Grand Slam season; one which started so promisingly.
