Madison Keys being forced to skip ATX Open 2025 due to WTA ranking rules infuriates tennis insider

Madison Keys will not participate at the ATX Open in Austin due to the WTA's rule of not having more than one Top-10 player. The American registered for the tournament when she was ranked 21st in the world but recent performances has seen her make a return to the Top 10 of the rankings.

Keys' triumphs at the Adelaide International and the Australian Open propeled her to seventh in the WTA rankings. This means that she will not be able to play in Austin, as World No. 6 Jessica Pegula was already confirmed as the only Top-10 player in the competition.

Taking to social media on Wednesday, January 29, tennis insider Jose Morgado expressed disbilief at the "sabotaging" nature of WTA rules as he wrote:

"The WTA tour really likes some sabotage. My god."

The ATX Open will commence on February 24 and will feature 32 players in the main draw. Apart from Pegula, Ajla Tomljanovic and wildcard entrant Malaika Rapolu are some of the other players to have joined the field.

Madison Keys could have secured her participation if she was the defending champion as the rule allows the title holder to return as a top-10 ranked player. However, the 29-year-old did not feature last year due to a shoulder injury.

Despite the recent development, Keys has had a delightful start to the new season. The American is undefeated in her last 12 competitive matches, suffering just one defeat so far in 2025.

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Madison Keys contemplates on her mindset to continue getting better and winning titles after Australian Open win

Madison Keys addressing the press at the 2025 Australian Open (Source: Getty)

Madison Keys stated that she remains determined to win every tournament she is part of. In a recent episode of the WTA Insider podcast, the American reflected on how she has been constantly improving her game and suggested that the Australian Open success will not diminish her drive to win titles.

"I still really wanted to win a Grand Slam. I just didn't like, I wasn't like laying in bed at night being like, 'I'm a failure if I don't win one anymore', which is two very different things. At the end of the day, I want to win every tournament that I'm in a draw of. And I feel like I am getting a lot better at that being enough and that being okay. And I'm actually able to play tennis," Keys said.

Keys expressed faith in herself to uphold a winning mentality while acknowledging the obvious obstacles that could fall her way.

"Obviously going to have some bad days still. Obviously going to lose matches that are still tough. But I feel like as long as I can continue to want to win matches and tournaments and not need them, then I think things will be good," she added.

Madison Keys, at age 29, became the fourth-oldest first-time Grand Slam women's champion in the Open Era. She was expected to play next at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, but later withdrew from the WTA 1000 event citing injury.