Sawt Falasteen - Keys says 'never too late' for success after reaching French Open quarters

The 30-year-old, who won her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne in January, reached the French Open last eight for the first time since 2019 with a 6-3, 7-5 win over fellow American Hailey Baptiste.

Keys reached the semi-finals in Paris in 2018 and the last eight the following year, but is playing in the second week for only the second time since.

"There's a lot of pressure to kind of immediately make it when you're a top junior, and I think sometimes you kind of lose the fun of all of it and all of the just amazing experience that you get to have through being a professional tennis player," said Keys, who turned pro at the age of 14.

"I think the biggest thing from all of it is that it's really never too late. I obviously had a lot of success earlier in my career, and then didn't quite get across the line until a few months ago."

Keys, seeded seventh in Paris, had made six Grand Slam semi-finals before lifting her first major trophy.

"There is really no time limit, and I think a lot of us, as time goes by, and we haven't gotten it, feel like time is running away," added the 2017 US Open runner-up.

"So I think there is no time limit. Anything can happen at any moment."

She will next face another American in Coco Gauff for a semi-final spot after the former US Open winner beat Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Keys has won three of her previous five meetings with the 21-year-old, although Gauff came out on top in their only previous Grand Slam encounter at Flushing Meadows in 2022.

"It's been really fun kind of getting to see her do so well at such a young age," Keys said of her quarter-final opponent.

"Sometimes I feel very old when talking to Coco, because she says things, and I'm, like, 'Yeah, I don't get that'.

"So there's definitely a big age gap that is sometimes shockingly obvious."

The world number eight said she arrived in the French capital refreshed after a surprise early exit in Rome to Peyton Stearns.

US third seed Jessica Pegula pointed to the gruelling nature of the European clay-court swing after her shock loss to French wildcard Lois Boisson on Monday.

"I actually went home after I lost early in Rome," added Keys.

"So in some ways I think it was a blessing in disguise for me, because I was able to go home for a little over a week.

"That really helped just reset my trip, and coming back to Paris it felt like it was a whole new trip."

U.AlSharif--SF-PST