Jessica Pegula, Ben Shelton, Taylor Townsend & more shower praise on Madison Keys as she ends 2025 season after WTA Finals heartbreak

Madison Keys wrapped up her 2025 season after the WTA Final heartbreak. The tennis world, including Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend, Ben Shelton, and more, dropped sweet reactions to this announcement.

Keys' latest appearance on the court was in the second round of the WTA Finals. She squared off against Amanda Anisimova, who defeated the American, registering a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win. Following this round, Keys was scheduled to lock horns with Elena Rybakina; however, she withdrew from the match due to a viral illness. With this withdrawal, she exited the tournament without a single win.

The 30-year-old announced the end of her season after the exit with a post on Instagram. She posted a series of pictures from the WTA Finals, showcasing her time at the event. The caption of the post read,

"Not how I wanted the story to end but at the beginning of the year I had the goal of making year end finals again and for that I’m so proud of all of the work my team and I put in to make that goal happen. Thank you for all the support 🫶🏽"

This post garnered the attention of several players, including Pegula, who lauded Keys for her performance in the 2025 season. She wrote:

"Incredible year👏🏻"

Townsend also cheered up the American with a sweet message that read:

"You did your thing🔥🔥❤️❤️"

Showering praise on her, Shelton called her the GOAT by commenting emoticons that read:

"🐐🗣️"

Pegula, Townsend, and Shelton's comment on Instagram

Keys' co-host of the Player's Box podcast and inactive player, Jennifer Brady, also wrote a comment that read:

"What a year!!!😍❤️"

Brady's comment on Instagram

Madison Keys returned to the WTA Finals for the second time in her career. Her first appearance was during the 2016 season.

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Madison Keys made her feelings known about losing to Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals opener

Madison Keys locked horns with Iga Swaitek in the 2025 WTA Finals opener. This was the American's first match in 68 days after her first-round loss at the US Open. The Pole produced a dominant delivery, claiming a straight two-set 6-1, 6-2 win against the World No. 7.

Following this showdown, Keys sat for an interview and opened up about the match. She said (as quoted by WTA):

"I just kept trying to play through it. It was just one of those things where I couldn't ever be 100 percent. Just felt like the best decision for me to have the best opportunity for the Finals was to kind of take some time, get healthy," said Madison Keys.

Madison Keys had an incredible start to the 2025 season, having won the Australian Open title. Ahead of this feat, she also claimed the Adelaide International title by defeating Jessica Pegula.

Edited by Tushhita Barua