Madison Keys Withdraws From China Open After Tough US Open Exit

What Happened Madison Keys is skipping the China Open, and it's not hard to see why. Weeks after a gut-punch third-round exit at the US Open — where she blew a 5-0 lead in the deciding set against Qinwen Zheng, only to watch Zheng pull off the exact same comeback twice in that tournament — Keys has officially withdrawn from the WTA 1000 event in Beijing. Paula Badosa steps in as her replacement.

Keys joins Alexandra Eala on the sidelines of what was shaping up to be a stacked draw featuring the entire WTA top 10. Eala withdrew for a very different reason: she's representing the Philippines at the Asian Games instead. Keys' withdrawal, on the other hand, reads more like a player who needs to hit pause.

Why She's Struggling Keys was candid after her US Open loss, and her words hit differently in hindsight. "I just feel like I've kind of been struggling for a while now," she admitted, adding that she'd been managing to play through it — until the pressure of a home slam made everything feel heavier. "Some weeks are easier than others, and this week is obviously one of the harder ones just because you care so much," she said, hinting that changes were coming.

Those changes may now include this China Open withdrawal. It's a rare skip for a player of her caliber, especially at a tournament that offers major ranking points and a loaded field. But after a season that's clearly worn her down mentally as much as physically, stepping back looks like the smarter play than pushing through another high-stakes event.

The Off-Court Noise If the on-court disappointment wasn't enough, Keys also found herself fielding an entirely unrelated wave of speculation after the US Open — repeated questions and assumptions about whether she's pregnant with husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo. "If people could stop assuming and or asking me if I am pregnant, that would be super fun," she said pointedly, clearly frustrated that it had become the top comment she was getting post-tournament.

Between a heartbreaking loss, public speculation about her personal life, and an admission that she's been quietly struggling for a while, it's easy to understand why Keys might want to step away from the tour rhythm for a beat rather than grind through Beijing.

What's Next With Keys out, Badosa gets a direct entry into a China Open draw still loaded with top-10 talent. For Keys, the bigger question is what "changes" she meant when she spoke after the US Open — whether that's schedule adjustments, mental reset time, or something more structural in her game and team. Either way, this withdrawal looks less like a routine schedule tweak and more like a player prioritizing her wellbeing over another ranking-points grind.