Mumbai: Throughout her professional career, which commenced in 2009, Madison Keys has occasionally grappled with a haunting question that left her feeling somewhat immobilized on the court: “If it didn’t happen right now, would it ever happen?”

Following the 2023 US Open semi-final, where she held a commanding lead of 6-0, 5-3 before an extraordinary comeback by Aryna Sabalenka, Keys broke down in tears during her press conference. This thought may have resurfaced for a player now in her late twenties: would she ever achieve that success again?

Indeed, she has, at the 2025 Australian Open, a full decade after her initial breakthrough.

The American has returned to the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, overcoming Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. Her quarter-final victory in 2015 also unfolded in three sets, against Venus Williams. She is now set to face the formidable Iga Swiatek, just as she once faced a peak Serena Williams.

Several generations of American women have dominated the world of tennis, and at 29, Keys has remained a steadfast presence. She has witnessed Venus and Serena ascend to greatness and now observes Coco Gauff's transformation from a teenage prodigy to a Grand Slam champion.

Despite her extensive experience, she has yet to secure a Grand Slam title. Keys turned professional on her 14th birthday and, just months later, became the youngest woman since Martina Hingis to win a WTA-level match. She entered the world’s top 50 rankings at the age of 17 and was still a teenager when she made her semi-final appearance at the 2015 Australian Open. High expectations surrounded this American player known for her powerful game.

In the ten Grand Slams following her breakthrough in Melbourne, Keys managed only one quarter-final appearance (2015 Wimbledon). She came agonizingly close to breaking through at the 2017 US Open, reaching the final, only to be thwarted by an unseeded Sloane Stephens. Since then, Keys has reached four additional semi-finals, including another in Australia in 2022, but has not progressed further. The question, inevitably, lingers.

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