Keys: "I got to a point where I was proud of my career, with a Grand Slam or not"

At 29, Madison Keys clinched the first Grand Slam title of her career at the Australian Open, beating world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Far from being one of the favourites for the title before the tournament began, Keys made her way through the field, gradually eliminating the top seeds.

In a press conference, the American explained how she dealt with the pressure of Grand Slam expectations and what enabled her to finally win one:

"I think everything happens for a reason. I had to go through some tough times, and that forced me to look in the mirror and work on the internal pressure I was putting on myself.

When I was young, I thought that if I didn't win a Grand Slam, then I wouldn't have achieved what people thought I could. It was a heavy burden to carry.

I finally got to a point where I was proud of my career, with a Grand Slam or not.

That I was okay with the fact that it might not happen. That I didn't need it to feel that I'd had a good career or that I'd been described as a great tennis player.

Getting rid of that internal pressure gave me the ability to play really good tennis and win a Grand Slam."