Jessica Pegula’s verdict on controversial WTA rule that saw Madison Keys barred from Austin

Oli Dickson Jefford 28 Feb 2025 1:41 PM

Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys.

Jessica Pegula has admitted it was “tough” to see Madison Keys barred from playing at the ATX Open in Austin due to an unusual WTA rule.

Recently crowned Australian Open champion Keys was set to play in her home country this week in Austin – alongside current world No 4 Pegula.

However, WTA rules prevent two top-10 players from appearing in the same WTA 250 event, unless one of them is a defending tournament champion.

Keys was not in the top 10 when she entered the tournament, but her triumph in Melbourne pushed her back to her then career-high of world No 7.

With Pegula having also already entered the event using her top-10 ranking, 30-year-old Keys ultimately found herself unable to compete.

The ATX Open is taking place this week, with top seed Pegula having won two matches on her way to booking a quarter-final versus Anna Blinkova.

Speaking this week, the US Open finalist conceded that, while it was difficult to see Keys being prevented from playing, she understood why the WTA rule was in place.

She said: “It’s so hard to say because you can see both sides, right?

“I mean, sometimes there are small tournaments before, and if it was like a big week, like here before Indian Wells, you could have a couple of top-10 players.

“Maybe that doesn’t benefit the lower-ranked players who are getting into these tournaments and trying to gain points and momentum to work their way up to the bigger tournaments.

“But then, at the same time, it’s always tough when something like that happens, like with Madi, and she’s not able to play.

“Although I will say, I think that it was a pretty extreme, kind of rare circumstance, so I don’t think she’s killing herself over it, you know? She won the Australian Open, so I think she’s pretty happy.”

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Keys has yet to play since her victory at the Australian Open, which saw her beat four top-10 players – including Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka – on her way to winning a first major title.

The US star became the third-oldest maiden Grand Slam women’s singles champion of the Open Era, with only Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta lifting their maiden majors at an older age.

Despite skipping the Middle East swing – which featured two WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai – the 30-year-old has now risen to a new high of fifth on the WTA Rankings.

Keys is now set for an emotional homecoming in Indian Wells next week, where she is set to be the fifth seed in the women’s singles draw.

Pegula is set to be the fourth seed, with world No 1 Sabalenka leading the field.