The clay season ended just a few days ago, but tennis has already made the transition onto grass.
Roland Garros 2025 is a tournament that will be remembered for years to come, as the stars of the ATP and WTA Tours put on a show in Paris.
On the women’s side, Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a tense clash to win her maiden French Open title.
One day later, the men contested an instant classic on Court Philippe Chatrier, as Carlos Alcaraz fought back from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner.
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It’s natural to look ahead to Wimbledon with excitement, when Grand Slam tennis will resume, but there’s plenty of action to get on with before then.
Two American stars have kicked off their grass-court campaigns with big wins and have now assessed their performances.
Madison Keys admits she was ‘jealous’ women didn’t get to play at Queen’s before 2025
For the first time since 1973, women will compete at this year’s Queen’s Club Championships.
Entering the event as the number two seed, Madison Keys is being tipped by many to become the tournament’s first female champion since Olga Morozova lifted the trophy 52 years ago.
During her on-court interview following her first-round win, Keys admitted she used to be ‘jealous’ watching the men play at Queen’s when there was no women’s tournament.
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“I’ve always been jealous because I’ve watched the guys play here and they always talk about how amazing it is to play at Queen’s, so being able to be here is absolutely amazing,” she said.
“So happy that we have a women’s tournament here.”
Keys beat Russian youngster Anastasia Zakharova in her opener 6-3, 6-2, and explained what was ‘challenging’ about the match.
“Feeling pretty good, always tough to play your first match on the grass, especially against someone who’s already played a few matches, but overall, pretty happy, and happy that I get another match here,” she said.
“It’s not very often that I haven’t played someone these days, it’s a little challenging to play someone for the first time, especially on the grass when they’ve had matches, so the first couple of games I was just trying to find my footing, once I did, I feel like I played really well.”
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The Australian Open champion went on to give her verdict on grass courts.
“I’ve always loved playing on the grass, and have won a few titles on it. I would love to be able to add this to the list, hopefully,” said Keys.
Keys has played three finals on grass throughout her career, winning all three.
- 2014 Eastbourne International F – Madison Keys beat Angelique Kerber
- 2016 Birmingham Classic F – Madison Keys beat Barbora Strycova
- 2023 Eastbourne International F – Madison Keys beat Daria Kasatkina
She has, however, yet to enjoy a standout performance at Wimbledon, failing to reach the semi-finals in each of her ten visits to the All England Club.
Keys will certainly hope a strong showing at Queen’s can give her the momentum she needs to make an impact at SW19 in 2025.
The world number eight will return to take on either Katie Boulter or Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals on Friday, June 13.
Taylor Fritz reveals what people keep saying that makes him feel ‘very old’ in Stuttgart
Another American to kick off his grass season with a win was Taylor Fritz, who beat Quentin Halys 6-3, 7-6 in Stuttgart.
Reflecting on the match, Fritz noted both players served well in a tight second-round clash.
“I think just coming out first game he served, I played a really good game to get a break, outside of that, nothing really changed the rest of the match,” he said.
“He served really well, I served well, we both did a good job taking care of our serves.
“It was big for me to save two break points in the second, and then the tiebreaker was kind of the same way it was going the whole match. Both of us taking care of our serves.
“I did a really good job hanging on and digging out a couple of my service points, and then it just came down to that one double fault.”
Serving stats from Quentin Halys v Taylor Fritz
Fritz then revealed what people keep saying to him in Stuttgart that makes him feel ‘very old’.
“Everyone keeps reminding me that I played here in 2016, it makes me feel very old, but obviously it’s been a long time,” he said.
“I’ve improved a lot, I still remember that match with Roger [Federer] so perfectly for it being so long ago, but I’m happy to be back.”
Federer beat Fritz on the American’s Stuttgart debut in 2016, battling through in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
The 27-year-old will now begin preparations for his quarterfinal match, where he’ll take on Marton Fucsovics on Friday, June 13.