DOHA — Madison Keys may be just 22 but she’s already in her ninth year on tour, and has her mentors to thank—at least in part—for her rapid growth.
The American, playing in the Qatar Total Open for the very first time, advanced over Qiang Wang on Tuesday, 6-1, 6-4.
Being in a new place—especially as foreign as Qatar can feel—for the first time has its disadvantages. Just like if you travelled somewhere new, particularly alone, it can be daunting to figure out all the details incuding where to stay and eat.
But Keys has had the upper hand at most of the tour’s stops for a while now.
“I had Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs when I was first on tour pretty much totally take over and help me get from like point A to point B,” Keys said. “Without them I would have been a disaster for the first couple of years on tour.”
Keys started out on tour in 2009 and at just 14 became the seventh-youngest player ever to win a WTA match. She cracked the Top 40 at the age of 18, and reached a high of No. 8 in 2016.
“I think it’s just the little things more than tennis,” Keys said. “Stay at this hotel, this one's better or don't go here, go here. Or even just things of, hey, this would be a great week if a friend or your mom can come. It’s just little bits of information where if you've never been there before you'd have no idea. Little things like that can help so much.”
Keys hasn’t competed since reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, but she’s adjusting quickly to the environment in Doha.