Keys tames nerves to beat Korneeva in US Open first round
NEW YORK — Madison Keys overcame early jitters to defeat Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The American, seeded 24th, improved her first-serve percentage from 48% in the first set to nearly 70% in the second, a key factor in her victory.
Keys, who won her first Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open, had crashed out in the first round at Flushing Meadows last year, reportedly overcome by nerves. This time, she said she was better able to handle the pressure.
"It's so hard to play the first round of a Grand Slam. So nervous and wanting to do well," Keys said. "So grateful I was able to fight through that."
The match lasted 94 minutes and ended when a Korneeva forehand went wide. The 19-year-old Russian, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, had recently defeated Keys' compatriots Emma Navarro and Iva Jovic at the WTA 1000 Toronto, and she posed a significant challenge in the opening set.
Keys took an early 3-0 lead with a series of powerful groundstrokes, but Korneeva fought back to level at 3-3. The set swung back and forth until Keys broke on her third set point with a backhand strike to take it 7-5.
The second set was more straightforward for Keys, who maintained a higher first-serve percentage and broke Korneeva's serve multiple times. Korneeva did break back twice, including a "cat-and-mouse exchange" near the net, but Keys regained control to clinch the match.
Keys, who was the 2017 US Open runner-up, acknowledged the difficulty of playing a young opponent. "It's always funny. I think I'm still a teenager, so looking across the net and seeing a teenager doesn't make much sense to me," she said. "It's always tough playing someone young and up and coming; they're going for all their shots."
Keys will next meet either Czech Lucie Havlickova or Hungarian Anna Bondar.