Queens, NY—-Madison Keys had to battle through a tense opening-round encounter at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, eventually overcoming Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-4 to move into the second round.
The 22nd-seeded American never appeared completely comfortable during the match, with several nervous moments making for a closely contested affair. Keys managed to stay composed when it mattered most, however, and celebrated the victory with a loud cry of relief once the final point was over.
Keys later acknowledged that the anxiety surrounding the opening rounds of a Grand Slam remains very real, particularly at the U.S. Open.
“No, it’s very relevant. I think we all kind of laugh,” Keys said when asked about the nerves players experience before their first matches.
She explained that she and fellow American Jessica Pegula had recently discussed how the atmosphere changes as the tournament approaches. Players may arrive excited and relaxed, but the tension gradually increases as opening-round matches draw closer.
“You can kind of feel, as the days are getting closer, everyone gets here, you have a week, everyone is excited to be here,” Keys said. “And then as the days are slowly getting closer to first rounds, racquets are maybe getting a little slippery, you can hear more yelling happening, and you can kind of feel the tension.”
Keys believes that nervous energy can spread throughout the locker room as players feed off one another while trying to handle the pressure of the tournament.
“We all just get really anxious,” she said. “We’re probably feeding off of each other, as well, but we all want to do well.”
The victory was particularly meaningful given Keys’ experience at last year’s tournament. She was eliminated in the opening round in 2025 after a lengthy battle with Renata Zarazua.
Keys said she had largely put that defeat behind her, but acknowledged that returning to the same court after a difficult loss can still bring an emotional challenge.
“It’s always hard to come back to a place where you last played and it was a tough loss,” she said.
Keys will now attempt to build momentum in the tournament when she faces Anna Bondar in the second round.
Elsewhere, second-seeded Elena Rybakina began her campaign with a convincing victory, defeating wildcard Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2.
Rybakina entered the tournament with questions surrounding her fitness after she suffered an injury during her match against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati. Those concerns appeared to be put aside as the Kazakh player produced a strong performance to advance comfortably.
Rybakina’s second-round opponent will be determined by the match between Darja Vidmanova and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
