"Can’t believe this is the same Madison Keys we saw win Aussie Open" - Fans shocked as "unrecognisable" American faces Charleston heartbreak

Tennis fans recently reacted to Madison Keys' unexpected loss to Anna Kalinskaya in the third round of the 2025 Charleston Open. This marked the second encounter between Keys and Kalinskaya on the WTA Tour and the Russian leveled their head-to-head score to 1-1.

Keys was the second seed at the WTA 500 clay court tournament and she kicked off her campaign with a victory over Caroline Dolehide in the second round, winning 6-3, 7-6(4). However, her run came to an end in the third round against the 14th seed Kalinskaya, where she lost with a score of 2-6, 4-6. In the match, the World No.5 struggled with 40 unforced errors and a first serve win rate of less than 50%, which ultimately led to her defeat.

The unexpected outcome drew various reactions from tennis fans, who took to social media to share their thoughts

One fan expressed that after watching Keys lose in Charleston Open, they could not believe that it was the same player who won her first Grand Slam of her career, the Australian Open, earlier this year.

"Bruh I still can’t believe this is the same Madison Keys we saw win the Aussie Open… 😔," a fan posted.

Another fan criticized Madison Keys' performance, describing it as "awful" and "unrecognizable."

"What an AWFUL match from Madison Keys, completely unrecognisable #WTA," a fan wrote.

"Nobody told me Madison keys lost to Anna Kalinskaya and pretty decisively to 6-2 6-4. I really thought after that impressive AO run/win, she was coming for heads but now she back to losing, and I don't know where my emotions should be," a fan posted.

"Just watch the stats. And yes Keys didn’t deliver a good match. Honeymoon phase has been ended by the severe defeat against Sabalenka at IW. That being said, when Anna Kalinskaya plays with confidence and without injuries, she can give top 10 tennis level," a fan wrote.

Here are some other fan reactions:

"Keys level today was truly shocking. She was awful," a fan posted.

"Keys back to being Keys," a fan wrote.

"Keys back to basics," a fan posted.

This year, Madison Keys has won two titles - the Adelaide International and the Australian Open . Following these victories, she reached the semifinals at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and lost in the third round at the Miami Open.

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After defeating Madison Keys, Anna Kaliskaya will face Sofia Kenin at the 2025 Charleston Open QF

Anna Kalinskaya at the Charleston Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

Following her win over Madison Keys in the third round of the 2025 Charleston Open, Anna Kalinskaya will take on Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Kenin kicked off her WTA 500 clay court campaign by defeating fellow American Bernarda Pera with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in the first round before triumphing over 17th seed Belinda Bencic with a score of 6-0, 6-3. She then defeated last year's runner-up, fifth seed Daria Kasatkina with a score of 6-3, 7-6(7) in the third round to secure her spot in the quarterfinals against Kalinskaya.

The match between Anna Kalinskaya and Sofia Kenin will mark the first time that these two players will compete against each other on the WTA Tour. The winner of this encounter will advance to face either eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or fourth seed Emma Navarro in the semifinals of the tournament.