Madison Keys mounts heroic comeback: Survives match points against Sofia Kenin to advance in French Open

Madison Keys survived a tough encounter against fellow American Sofia Kenin at the French Open, staging a notable comeback in the third set. The 2025 Australian Open champion secured her 10th consecutive victory in Grand Slam tournaments, defeating her compatriot 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

It wasn't easy for the world No. 8, who found herself down 0-3 in the final set against the former French Open finalist. However, she showed her class to eliminate Kenin and advance to the second week at Roland Garros for the fifth time in her career.

First Set

In a first set that could have gone either way, Kenin managed to gain the advantage by being more effective in key moments. The 2020 French Open finalist saved three break points during the early part of the set, while not posing too much risk to her opponent on return.

Kenin managed to keep things even until 3-3, at which point she got her first break opportunities. Aided by a Keys error, she secured the break that put her ahead. Although she had some difficulties closing out the set towards the end, she ultimately took a 6-4 lead. Keys hit 14 winners compared to Kenin's 8, while in unforced errors, Keys had 17 against Kenin's 15. Kenin managed to win a tight set despite winning fewer points than her opponent.

Second Set

At the start of the second set, Kenin again navigated a tricky situation, saving a couple of early break points. The American No. 3 was determined to take the set, showing great effectiveness on her first serve (83%) compared to Kenin's 68%.

A single break in the sixth game was all Keys needed to take the lead and hold onto her serve. She hit a total of 11 winners compared to Kenin's 12, though the differences were stark in terms of unforced errors: Keys had 6, while her opponent totaled 17 in the set alone, numbers that made it difficult for her to keep pace.

Third Set

The third set promised to be full of tension from both sides. Keys felt the pressure early and saw her opponent quickly take a 3-0 lead after an early break. However, Keys stayed in the fight, recovered the break, and leveled the score at 3-3.

The tension mounted when Kenin went up 5-4 and earned three match points on Keys' service game. Nevertheless, the world No. 8 showed her class in the most complicated moment. She saved all three of her opponent's chances and then secured a break on her first opportunity. This time, without hesitation, Keys comfortably held her last service game – avoiding a tie-break – and sealed the 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory after almost two and a half hours of play.

Her next opponent will be the surprising Hailey Baptiste (world No. 79), who comes off a win against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, and had earlier eliminated Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia. The head-to-head record currently stands at 2-1 in favor of Keys.

Match Statistics Keys vs. Kenin