Keys Suffers Shocking First Round Exit
This year’s US Open delivered yet another shocking result as the Australian Open champion Madison Keys kicked off the tournament in the first round against Renata Zarazua, ranked number 82 in the world.
As a contender for New York, the 6th seeded player who recently won her first Grand Slam this year, managed to record 89 in in game unforced errors and managed 14 double faults. The game took over three hours, lasting 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5.
Zarazua achieved her breakthrough win against a top 10 player which serves as the defining moment in her career. While for Keys, it starkingly showcased the narrow and blurred lines of few points in elite level tennis for the expectations of the crowd in her home ground.
A Battle of the Game
Right from the start of the match, the game was a contest of both nerves and shot execution.
The crowd at Flushing Meadows enthusiastically cheered for Keys, who started aggressively, striking 15 winners in the opening six games. However, with each attacking shot, the errors began to pile up.
In the first set, Keys committed 37 unforced errors, literally giving the set to Zarazua. Zarazua, a strong defender with great court coverage, controlled the pace of the match and forced Keys to make longer than usual rallies in which she made plenty of errors. Despite this, the Mexican found it hard to finish and wasted five set points, allowing Keys to win the tiebreak 12-10. Yep, she was that fortunate.
Things began to look a lot worse for Zarazua as she lost the first two games in the second set. Keys, from her end, looked in control hitting with more control and confidence. Zarua won the first set with relative ease, and started to look very comfortable as she jumped to a 3-0 lead. Everything suddenly changed when Keys seemed to lose her first serve. From game 4 to game 7, she committed four double faults in a row and paired that with a string of backhand errors, giving Zarua 4 in a row.
Although Keys made a strong effort to win the set and even got to a tiebreak, she lost her nerves and poise. Zarua controlled the match using her defensive skills to frustrate Keys and the American was forced to errors. The Mexican won that tiebreaker 7-3 which won her the match.
As the third set began, both players began to swap breaks and the set was very even in terms of contesting and skill, especially with the match being more than three hours long.
While serving at 5-6, Keys began to struggle with nerves again. With two double faults, she gave Zarazua two chances to win the match. On the last match point, Keys pushed a forehand into the net, ending her campaign.
Keys Admits Nerves Took Over
As for the match, Keys shared her thoughts on the match and addressed the performance.
“For the first time in a while, my nerves really got the better of me, and it became paralysing,” she confessed. “There’s always first-round nerves, but today it just snowballed. If you start to play poorly, you get stuck in that loop.”
Her spouse and coach Bjorn Fratangelo had maintained a “calm” demeanor throughout the match, reminding her, “It’s just a sport. It’s not life or death.” Yet, the newly minted Slam champion’s expectation, especially with her competing in front of home fans, was crushing.
The Burden of a Breakthrough Season
Returning in 2025, Keys sought to reaffirm her “unfulfilled” narrative. It was in January at the Australian Open that she was able to do just that, defeating two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Her subsequent performances marked a turning point in her career.
She maintained it with an effective swing on the clay courts which earned her a quarter-final spot at Roland Garros. However, Laura Siegemund’s early exit at Wimbledon sparked concerns about the veteran’s Siegemund overall performance consistency.
With the US open right around the corner, Keys was the 6th seeded player alongside Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina who were all seen as the top contenders.
Zarazua’s Career-Defining Moment
For Zarazua, this win pushes her forward and represents a phenomenal achievement. She has been scrapping in the margins of the WTA for much of her 27 year old life. Most of her winnings came from tournaments below the WTA level. Often characterized as a tough, fast, and a good pace re-director, her consistency using these attributes has always resulted in losses to much weaker, yet ranked, players.
This time, however, she maintained her composure and seized the day. Her steadiness gave her the edge she needed to fend off Keys’ slow spiral collapse. Zarazua’s victory over Keys has, in a manner of speaking, cemented her claim to enduring admiration.
With that win, Zarazua became the first Mexican woman in decades to defeat a top-ten player at a Grand Slam. This achievement is likely to motivate numerous up-and-coming players from her country.
Other Results: Mboko Falls, Rybakina Cruises
On the second day of the tournament, Canadian teen phenomenon Victoria Mboko saw her dream run come to an end. She was eliminated by former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova with a score of 6-3, 6-2. The 18-year-old was a sensation over the summer after winning the Canadian Open, but her inexperience surfaced against the Czech star.
Simultaneously, ninth seed Elena Rybakina was also winning her match, and did not drop a set against 16-year-old debutant Julieta Pareja. The match finished 6-3, 6-0 in just over an hour. Pareja, the top junior in the world, had secured her wildcard after performing exceptionally well on the ITF circuit, but was simply outclassed by the 2022 Wimbledon champion’s overwhelming skill.
Historical Parallels
The departure of Keys from the tournament marks, in my opinion, one of the earliest exits for a reigning Slam champion at the US Open in recent memory. The last time I remember something similar was in 2017, when defending French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko lost in the first round in New York.
While it certainly does happen in tennis, first round eliminations are rare. In the case of Keys, who was touted as a homegrown champion alongside Gauff, it is particularly frustrating.
American players have received mixed results throughout history at Flushing Meadows. While Sloane Stevens and Jennifer Capriati struggled with a lack of consistency, both Serena and Venus Williams thrived under the pressure. On the other hand, Sloane Stevens and Jennifer Capriati could not seem to maintain consistency, even with major successes under their belt.
Implications for the Draw
With the departure of Keys, the Krejcikova, Rybakina, and even the formidable Ons Jabeur have a chance to make a run for the bottom half of the women’s draw. From the perspective of the home fans, most of the attention will now shift towards Coco Gauff, who is looking to add a second Grand Slam title to her name.
Zarazua’s journey is simultaneously filled with both daunting obstacles and great opportunities. She will play a lower-ranked player in the subsequent round, which gives her a realistic chance to move her run on to the second week. The bigger question is whether she can mimic the steadiness of her performance against Keys.
A Mental Battle More Than Physical
Keys has faced multiple mental obstacles throughout her career. The 89 unforced errors he racked up is a clear representation of Claude Monet’s deeper issues. Unlike her composed run in Melbourne, where he thrived on confidence, New York brought back memories to her career stumbles on big stages.
Sustaining success after a major breakthrough is a challenge for many. Sports psychologists explain this phenomenon.
The target on a champion’s back transforms, foes escalate their game, and with everything on the line, expectations soar. For her hopes to contend again, Keys adjusting to that dynamic will be pivotal.
Looking Ahead
Along with the tour’s most dangerous players, Keys has sustained the injury, so during the match, her power and shot-making ability will be hard to match. During her form, few players can match her shot-making ability and power. Seeking to quiet the nerves that unraveled her control in New York will help. Balancing on the aggressiveness and control axis will be her challenge moving forward.
For Zarazua, the future now shines. With confidence on the rise and having made a mark in the US Open, her story could evolve from that of a one-match wonder.
Conclusion
Excitement in the 2025 US Open has sprung right into action. Madison Keys shocking first-round exit is the reminder of sharp edges tennis walks between two extremes. While for Zarazua, it is her explosive night. While for her, it is the expectations of the game in relentless form, waiting for the champion to make a mark, and a reminder that hinges can snap anytime. Last week was a Grand Slam.
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