"Wait, what do I do now?" - Madison Keys gets honest about dilemma after winning maiden Grand Slam title

After winning the 2025 Australian Open, Madison Keys found herself at a crossroads. The American tennis star had achieved a dream she had been chasing for 30 years but was left with a question: What now?

Keys made history at the Australian Open in January as she became the oldest first-time women’s champion at the tournament. The 30-year-old played some of her career's best tennis to beat World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and then put up a scintillating display to defeat reigning champion and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for the Melbourne Major.

In the process, Keys became the first player in 20 years to beat the World No. 1 and World No. 2 to win a Major, and it also marked her maiden Grand Slam title. Speaking to former Australian tennis player Rennae Stubbs, Keys said it took a few days for her to realize the magnitude of what she had just achieved.

"I was like, 'Holy crap, I did that. It actually happened!' It's a weird thing when you finally do something that you've been dreaming of and working towards since you were a little kid, and you finally do it, the mental and emotional shift that happens where you're like, 'Wait, I actually did it,'" Madison Keys said on the on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast (9:45 onwards).

Keys added that she was then left in a dilemma as she didn't know what to do next - she had realized one of her major goals but was left confused about what was in store for her.

“You're sitting there and go, 'Wait, what do I do now? Oh, wait, what's next?' I've spent almost 30 years of my life essentially working towards this thing, and it's always felt like it was just a little bit far away and like I had to keep working for it, and then I did it, and now I have to…totally feel like I'm shifting as a person,” she said.

Keys has openly spoken about her mental struggles and how she put immense pressure on herself to win a Major. After her triumph in Melbourne, she noted that she made tiny changes to her mindset and revealed that the big change-maker was the fact that she let go of the burden of not winning a Grand Slam.

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Madison Keys achieves career-high ranking after Australian Open triumph

Madison Keys celebrates after winning the 2025 Australian Open. Source: Getty

It's been a season of many firsts for Madison Keys as she rose to a career-high ranking per the latest list released by the WTA on Monday, February 24. The American's incredible run in 2025, which has seen her win an impressive 14 out of 15 matches, has powered her to climb to the World No. 5 spot.

Fellow Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff occupy the fourth and third spots, respectively, while Swiatek is second and Sabalenka tops the list.

Keys will have a chance to inch closer to the top spot when she competes at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells this week. This will be her first tournament since the Australian Open, and she will look to come out all guns blazing.

Madison Keys will begin her campaign at the BNP Paribas Open in the round of 64 on Friday, March 07.