Charleston Open: Madison Keys Win, Two Key Takeaways

Action at the 2019 Charleston Open is a wrap. American Madison Keys takes the title in women’s singles. Let’s dive deeper into what that means.

American tennis star Madison Keys takes the title in women’s singles at the 2019 Charleston Open. She defeats another top player in former world number one Caroline Wozniacki during the finals. Keys wins their championship match in straight sets, going 7-6 (5), 6-3.

In the aftermath of the Keys victory, we have two key takeaways, both of which involve the Charleston Open champion and its runner-up.

The first key takeaway is that Keys is a surprise contender during the clay court season. Lookout for the 24-year-old American tennis star moving forward. She is not known for her play this time of year but her run in Charleston has to make us stop and think.

Keys knocked out the likes of Tatjana Maria, Jelena Ostapenko, Sloane Stephens, Monica Puig, and Wozniacki to earn her first career WTA single title on clay. This is an impressive list of players to defeat. Plus, Wozniacki had won the previous two meetings between them.

The second key takeaway is that Wozniacki looks healthier, stronger, and ready to return to a top ranking on  the 2019 WTA Tour. A runner-up finish to Keys is nothing to scoff at. Especially considering that Wozniacki has been dealing with health issues throughout the past year. She looked great at the Charleston Open, dropping just one set prior to the championship match with Keys. This marks a HUGE step in the right direction for Wozniacki.

Both Keys and Wozniacki jump in the WTA rankings following the 2019 Charleston Open. Wozniacki inches closer to the top ten, moving into the world number 12 position and Keys moves up four places into the world number 14 ranking. Both players have immense experience for their ages and put on brilliant displays of tennis in Charleston. Stay tuned to see if they can keep up the pace in the coming weeks on the WTA Tour.