Madison Keys qualifies for 2025 WTA Finals, earns spot among elite eight at year-ending event

The 2025 season was full of surprising and heartwarming stories, with American Madison Keys kicking off the season with a shocking Grand Slam win. The 30-year old would go on to have the best season of her career, which has culminated with her qualifying for the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Keys began the year by winning the Adelaide International, defeating compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final. The Illinois native would keep her undefeated streak intact down under, as she put on her most impressive performance to lift the Australian Open title a few weeks later.

The American upset World No.2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, before defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final to win her maiden Grand Slam event. Keys had come close to winning a major in the past, but fell to compatriot Sloane Stephens in the final of the 2017 US Open.

Following her return to the WTA tour after her triumph in Melbourne, Keys would produce some exceptional tennis at Indian Wells before falling to Sabalenka in the semifinals. She would reach the quarterfinals in Madrid and Roland Garros, and accumulate an impressive 37-13 record by the end of the US Open.

Keys returns to WTA Finals after almost a decade

The Australian Open champion reached a new career high ranking in February when she rose to World No.5. Following some strong performances during the season, Keys would remain in the top 10 in the Live rankings, with her current ranking of No.5 in the race to Riyadh sufficient enough for her to qualify for the year-ending event.

Keys will be joining World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, No.2 Iga Swiatek, No.3 Coco Gauff and No.4 Amanda Anisimova in the elite eight-player field. Three more spots are up for grabs, with the event set to run from Nov 1-8, 2025.

This will not be Keys debut at the elite event, as she qualified for the year-ending championships in 2016. The tournament was held in Singapore, and Keys would finish with a 1-2 record, leading to her elimination in the round-robin stage. Former Slovakian player Dominika Cibulkova would go on to win the title, defeating German Angelique Kerber in the final.