Carnage-Free Keys Says She Dodged a Bullet Already at Wimbledon

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday July 2, 2025

4 of the highest 5 seeds failed to achieve the third spherical on the ladies’s facet at Wimbledon, however No.6-seeded Madison Keys is sitting fairly and feeling like luck could also be on her facet at these Championships.

Keys, who was almost ousted in her first-round match in opposition to Spain’s Elena Gabriela Ruse, discovered a method by means of that worrying encounter from a set down, and on Wednesday she bounced Serbia’s Olga Danilovic to achieve the third spherical at Wimbledon for the ninth time in 11 profession appearances.

She says that watching seeds scatter as they’ve over the primary three days of Wimbledon can undoubtedly be unnerving for prime gamers.

“I feel when you find yourself sitting and watching everybody form of fall, it form of provides a little bit little bit of stress to the scenario,” she mentioned. “I used to be fairly shut in my first spherical, so I really feel like I dodged a bullet a little bit bit.”

Second-seeded Coco Gauff, third-seeded Jessica Pegula, fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini and fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen have all bowed out early, and extra might come earlier than the third spherical begins. After Paolini’s loss to Kamilla Rakhimova on Wednesday, 15 of the 32 ladies’s singles seeds had already been eradicated.

“I actually consider upsets are contagious,” mentioned Brad Gilbert, commentating for ESPN. “You can not assist however really feel what is going on.”

Keys believes that fatigue is taking part in an element for the highest gamers throughout this notably gruelling a part of the season that options two majors within the span of 5 weeks.

“Truthfully, I feel everyone seems to be simply form of drained, and the season has been lengthy already,” she mentioned. “It is arduous. It has been six months. I really feel like we have all performed a whole lot of matches. So clearly the individuals which can be ranked greater, in principle, have performed extra matches than others. It is a marathon, not a dash. There’s sure to be in some unspecified time in the future within the season the place individuals have dips.”

However Keys, who will face 37-year-old Laura Siegemund within the third spherical on Friday, is feeling just like the worst may be behind her.

“I really feel like getting by means of that was form of my very own private battle that I needed to form of get by means of [was important],” she mentioned. “I really feel like as soon as I used to be ready to do this, even seeing the entire outcomes which have form of occurred the final two days, form of provides a little bit bit to the nerves, however I really feel like for myself I form of really feel like I already acquired previous it a little bit bit.

“So, yeah, I really feel like now I’ve a possibility to form of play a few of my greatest tennis.”