By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, July 4, 2025
Photo credit: Kirill Kudryatsev/AFP/Getty
Wimbledon—Late in the second set, Madison Keys came nose-to-nose with her nemesis at net.
Trying to close the gap on Laura Sigemund, Keys saw the crafty German loop a lob right over the top into an expanse of green grass.
That exchange typified Siegemund’s 6-3, 6-3 upset of Keys on No. 2 Court today.
When the oldest woman still standing in the singles draw wasn’t dragging Keys into obscure areas, she played over her head on pivotal points.
The 37-year-old Siegemund won 12 of 15 net points and broke five times to advance to the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time.
“Of course you can not not be happy when you beat a great player like Madison,” Siegemund said. “It was not easy today—conditions were windy and swirly at times not the best quality, but at the end I kept my nerves.
“There are always nerves. I think if you don’t have nerves in this moment you are probably dead.
“So you take a deep breath and just kind of remember what your strategy is. There is technically no pressure for me. I try to remember that I only play for myself. I don’t feel like I need to prove anything anymore.”
This upset proved seeds remain on unstable ground.
The sixth-seeded Keys is the sixth Top 10 seed to fall before the fourth round. She joins No. 2-seeded Coco Gauff, third-seeded Jessica Pegula, fourth-seeded 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini, fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen and No. 9-seeded Paula Badosa in dropping from the draw.
That leaves only world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, seventh-seeded Mirra Andreeva, eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek and No. 10-seeded Emma Navarro as the lone Top 10 seeds still standing.
On paper, Keys was on a quarterfinal collision course with Sabalenka, but Siegemund flipped the script and shredded the powerful American with slices and the short, soft balls.
However, today’s loss—to a two-time Wimbledon doubles quarterfinalist who had never been beyond the third round in six singles appearances—will likely sting Keys for some time.
A courageous Keys saved match point at 5-6 shocking second-seeded Iga Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) in a pulsating and wild comeback win that propels her into her first Australian Open final. Then Keys dethroned two-time defending champion Arna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an inspirational AO showdown pitting premier power players that escalated into stunning slugfest on Rod Laver Arena.
At SW19, Keys conceded she “dodged a bullet” in her 6-7, 7-5, 7-5 win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in round one, but never really found the freedom in her game against Siegemund.
US Open will recall Siegemund nearly knocked off Coco Gauff at the 2023 US Open before Gauff earned a grueling 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory.
Today, Siegemund befuddled Keys with repeated drop shots. The German sifted six clean drop shot winners and sometimes used the drop shot-lob combination to bamboozle Keys as well.
The quirky Siegemund presents a maddening mental challenge, too. Siegemund plays with two Yonex racquets—one to serve and one to receive—repeatedly screams “Come on!” to grate on opponent’s serves and prefers running the serve clock down right to the very end.
When Siegemund was hit with a time violation warning before serving on her fourth match point, one fan screamed out “Thank you! Thank you!” cheering the chair umpire’s call.
Still, you have to hand it to the 37-year-old Siegemund imposing her style of play on two-time quarterfinalist Keys. Those drop shots certainly took a toll as Keys was trying to squeeze drives closer to the lines sometimes pulling the trigger prematurely in an effort to end the point. Keys denied three straight match points blasting a big serve to hold for 3-5 in the second set.
Fans erupted as Keys opened a love-30 lead in the next game—two points from getting back on serve. Then Siegemund dabbed her sixth drop shot winner for 15-30. That devious drop-shot lob combination froze Keys giving the German a fourth match point.
When Keys’ final return went askew, Siegemund tossed her blue racquet aside and repeatedly jumped for joy.
