Madison Keys’ US Open Nightmare: When 89 Unforced Errors Cost Her Everything

Sometimes tennis can be absolutely brutal. Just ask Madison Keys, who walked into Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday expecting to make a statement as the defending Australian Open champion. She instead delivered one of the most painful performances you will see from a top seed.

The sixth-seeded Keys crashed out in the first round to Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), 7-5, in what can only be described as a masterclass in how to beat yourself. With 89 unforced errors—yes, you read that right, 89—Keys essentially gifted her opponent the biggest win of her career.

When Champions Become Their Own Worst Enemy

Let’s put this in perspective: Zarazúa needed just eight winners to knock off a Grand Slam champion. Meanwhile, Keys was out there spraying balls like she was trying to hit every person in the 24,000-seat stadium. The American also served up 14 double faults for good measure, because apparently 89 unforced errors weren’t quite enough self-destruction.

You have to feel for Keys. She came into this tournament riding high after finally breaking through for her first major title in Melbourne, where she took down world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. That victory was supposed to be the launching pad for bigger things. Instead, it became a distant memory in about three hours and 10 minutes of pure tennis torture.

Zarazúa’s David vs. Goliath Moment

While Keys was busy imploding, give credit where it’s due. Zarazúa played the match of her life. The 5-foot-3 Mexican, ranked 82nd in the world, had never beaten a top-10 player before Monday. She had lost in the first or second round of all eight previous Grand Slam appearances. But when opportunity knocked at the biggest tennis stadium in the world, she answered.

“I’m a little bit small in height, so coming in here, it was like: ‘Oh, my God. This is huge,'” Zarazúa said about playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “When I retire, I’m going to be really happy about it, so I was like, ‘Just enjoy it.'”

That mindset made all the difference. While Keys seemed overwhelmed by expectations and her own mistakes, Zarazúa embraced the moment with the joy of someone who knew this might be her only shot at tennis immortality.

Historic Upset Puts Keys In Unwanted Company

This wasn’t just any first-round exit. This was historically bad for American tennis. Keys became the first American woman seeded in the top 10 to lose in the first round at the US Open since Chanda Rubin in 2003. That is 22 years of avoiding this kind of embarrassment, only for Keys to break that streak in spectacular fashion.

The defeat also made Zarazúa the first Mexican player to knock off a top-10 seed at a major since 1995. Think about that. It was nearly 30 years between Mexican upsets at this level. That is how rare and special this victory was for Zarazúa, and how crushing it was for Keys.

The Physical and Mental Toll

Throughout the match, Keys had her left thigh heavily taped, suggesting physical issues might have contributed to her struggles. Her coach and husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, tried everything to keep her mentally afloat, at one point telling her, “It’s just a sport, nothing’s riding on the line.” But sometimes the weight of expectation is heavier than any physical ailment. Keys looked like a player drowning in her own thoughts, each error compounding the last until the entire structure of her game collapsed.

What This Means Moving Forward

For Keys, this is a harsh reminder that tennis doesn’t care about your previous accomplishments. One Grand Slam title doesn’t guarantee you will win your next first-round match. The good news? Keys has shown she can bounce back from devastating losses before. She reached the US Open final in 2017 and made the semifinals in 2018 and 2023. Champions find ways to learn from these nightmare performances and come back stronger.

For Zarazúa, this win changes everything. She is no longer just another player trying to make it through qualifying. She is the woman who took down a Grand Slam champion on the biggest stage in tennis. That confidence can be career-defining.

The Beauty and Cruelty Of First Rounds

This is why we love and hate first-round matches at Grand Slams. They’re unpredictable, emotional, and sometimes completely irrational. On paper, Keys should have won this match easily. In reality, tennis is played between the lines, not on paper, and Zarazúa’s heart proved bigger than Keys’ ranking.

Monday’s upset serves as a perfect reminder that in tennis, like life, nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes the favorite crumbles under pressure, sometimes the underdog finds magic, and sometimes 89 unforced errors tell the whole story.