Australian Open Winner Madison Keys Withdraws From Qatar Open With Injury
News
Fans will not see Madison Keys in action again for a while after her memorable Australian Open success. She has pulled out of the Qatar Open in Doha.
Keys had no visible physical issues during her remarkable run to the Australian Open title. The 29-year-old sealed her maiden Grand Slam by defeating the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
She had also played a lengthy match in the semifinal to overcome Iga Swiatek. Keys saved a match point at 5-6, 30-40 down on the four-time French Open champion's serve before eventually winning in a deciding set tiebreak.
While Keys did not seem to have any injuries at the Australian Open, she may have been fighting through some pain in the closing stages of the tournament after putting in so much effort to reach the final and eventually secure the title. She played with her thigh bandaged, even though it didn't seem to be bothering her.
The WTA has announced that Keys withdrew from the Qatar Open, scheduled for February 9th until 15th, because of a hamstring injury. Understandably, the American has yet to make an announcement about it so soon after her Australian Open success.
While it would be unfair to doubt Keys' reason for withdrawing from this year's Qatar Open, she usually does not play at the tournament and rarely features much during the Middle Eastern swing on the WTA Tour.
Keys' only previous appearance at the tournament in Doha was in 2018, losing in the second round. Injuries have been responsible for some of those misses, but other times, the Australian Open winner decided not to compete at the event.
The Dubai Championships, which takes place the week after the Qatar Open, is the other significant tournament during the Middle Eastern swing. Like the event in Doha, it has WTA 1000 status and was won by Jasmine Paolini last season.
It is also important to note that until last season, there was only one WTA 1000 tournament on the calendar in the Middle East. One of the events in Qatar or Dubai would have WTA 1000 status and the other WTA 500 before alternating the following year.
That means Keys has not routinely missed two WTA 1000 tournaments for several years. The American only missed those last season while sidelined with an injury that also ruled her out of the 2024 Australian Open.
It's a shame Keys won't be involved, but the Qatar Open entry list is still superb. Sabalenka, who skipped the tournament last year after winning her second Australian Open, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff are among the players who will feature.
The tournament in Doha gives Gauff an opportunity to respond after losing in the Australian Open quarterfinal to Paula Badosa. She had been tipped to win the season's opening Grand Slam by many after outstanding form in the preceding months.
Gauff ended 2024 by triumphing at the China Open and WTA Finals with new coach Matt Daly before helping Team USA win the United Cup for a second time. Her time at the United Cup included an impressive win against Swiatek.
