Madison Keys set for latest rankings jump – and could prove French Open stumbling block for key contender
Madison Keys’ successful clay court season continued in style on Saturday with a dominant win over compatriot Danielle Collins in the Strasbourg final.
It took just 72 minutes for Keys to win her eighth career title and first since Eastbourne last season, dispatching the in-form Collins 6-1, 6-2.
Keys did not drop a single set on her way to the title in France, and she will head into the French Open full of confidence after a great clay court season.
And she could cause one or two issues as a hugely dangerous dark horse at Roland Garros.
Latest rankings surge ensured
Keys’s start to the season was far from ideal, forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to injury and failing to make too many inroads across the Middle East and US swings.
But the former world No 7 recaptured her best form at the very start of the clay season, going all the way to the last four in Madrid.
Having not won a match at the event since 2016, the American beat US No 1 Coco Gauff to reach the quarter-final, before rallying from a set down to beat former champion Ons Jabeur.
She then endured a heavy defeat to Iga Swiatek, but that run was enough to see the world No 20 rise back to 16th in the WTA Rankings.
And, after another strong run in Rome – where she reached the last eight, before again losing to the world No 1 – she took advantage of a Swiatek-free zone in Strasbourg.
The fourth seed at the event, Keys beat Wang Xinyu 7-5, 6-0 in her opening clash before dismantling Magda Linette 6-1, 6-3 in the last eight.
Keys then beat Liudmila Samsonova by the same score in the last four, before dominating again versus Collins.
KEYS UNLOCKS THE STRASBOURG TITLE @Madison_Keys gets the better of her good friend Collins to cap off a sensational week!#IS24 pic.twitter.com/xn4b1bgfYe
— wta (@WTA) May 25, 2024
The title means that Keys will again leap four spots in the WTA Rankings, and will be ranked 12th come Monday.
And while that surge comes too late to impact her French Open seeding, surely no one will want to play her at Roland Garros.
Stumbling block for Sabalenka?
Keys is undoubtedly hugely dangerous on this surface, with a French Open semi-final and Italian Open final on her CV before this season.
Seeded 14th in Paris, no one will enjoy facing her in Paris again this year.
But she has been placed in an interesting mini-section of the draw and – if things go to plan – she will face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round.
After a post-Australian Open dip, the world No 2 is seemingly back near her best, reaching the final in Madrid and Rome.
And Sabalenka has won three of the four previous matches between the two, though few can forget how close to victory Keys was in their US Open semi-final last summer.
The two have also never met on clay, another interesting point to bear in mind should they meet.
Sabalenka would be the favourite if they do play, but the American will not be easy for anyone to take on at the second Grand Slam of 2024.
