From Melbourne to Paris, the flame of Case has never been extinguished

Under the bright sunshine of Paris, Roland Garros' clay court is once again in the spotlight of tennis. The 2025 French Open has captured the world's attention over the past half month with its breathtaking fierce rivalries, dramatic reversals and peak displays of skill. Every swing and every point of competition is engraved with new classic moments in this legendary red earth.

On June 4, local time, the women's singles 1/4 finals were played at the Philippe Chartier Stadium, and YONEX contracted player Keith quickly entered the state and took a 4-1 lead in the first set, but her opponent, Gauff, the No. 2 seed of the tournament, then won four games in a row to overtake the score to 5-4. However, in the next two sets, Gauff came back from a slight win on the key points, ending Case's 11-game winning streak at the Grand Slams this year.

It was undoubtedly a trip to be a source of pride for Case, as the American defeated former top-20 player Savile and British sister Usain Bolt in straight sets in the first two rounds. Then faced former Australian Open champion and 31st seed Kenin in the third round, and Keys saved three match points to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Her fourth-round opponent was Baptiste, who had reached the round of 16 as a dark horse, and against the powerful woman, Keys won in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time in six years.

Keys' best record at Roland Garros came in 2018, when the 23-year-old American reached the semi-finals of five straight matches at the French Open, before reaching the quarter-finals in 2019. At the Australian Open earlier this year, Keys made his long-awaited Grand Slam breakthrough at Melbourne Park, and the "talented girl" who had been repeatedly challenged by injuries and doubts was finally crowned Grand Slam champion at the age of 29 and returned to the top 10 in the world. The French Open was Keys' Grand Slam debut since that breakthrough, and she did not disappoint, while once again proving her clay-court prowess.

Speaking at the French Open, Keys said she has fully adapted to life as a Grand Slam winner and will continue to give it her all for the rest of her career: "Winning a Grand Slam title has given me a lot of attention all of a sudden, whereas I didn't get a lot of attention for a long time, so it will take some time to get used to. At this stage of my career, all I have to do is enjoy myself on the court, let myself be in the moment, focus on every match and continue to play at a high level. ”

Case's strong rise this season is due to her maturing on-court mentality and tennis prowess, and of course, a major choice she made late last year – changing rackets. AHEAD OF THE 2025 WINTER TRAINING SEASON, KEYS BEGAN TO USE THE 8TH GENERATION YONEX EZONE98 RACKET WITH THE POLYTOUR REV 125 STRING, A POWERFUL RACQUET WITH A COMFORTABLE FEEL AND AN OVERSIZED SWEET SPOT TO HELP HER FIND THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF HER ATTACKING STYLE OF PLAY.

This year, she officially signed an equipment contract with YONEX. "The racket allows me to be more bold and control the ball better, which gives me a lot more security on the court, and I do think it helps me a lot," said Keith. ”

As this year's French Open draws to a close, the first half of the 2025 tennis season is coming to an end. Let's once again enjoy the attacking aesthetic displayed by American star Keys on the green grass.

(Text, Editor/Faye Wong, Photo/Visual China)