French Open semi-finalist Madison Keys says the notion that she is too nice to win is "a load of c**p". The American reached the last four at Roland Garros with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory over Yulia Putintseva on Tuesday, setting up a meeting with compatriot Sloane Stephens, to whom she lost in the final of last year's US Open.
Keys was understandably all smiles as her career-best run on the Paris clay continued and in her post-match media conference, the 13th seed insisted that prior suggestions that she does not possess the mean streak required to win were without basis.
"I have actually been told quite often that I'll never win or do well because I'm too nice of a person and I just don't have it," she said.
"I think that's a load of c**p, but, you know, it's just me. I don't think you have to be mean in order to win matches. I think there's a difference between being intense and wanting it and fighting and just not being nice, so that's something that I have always stayed true to."
READ: Slick Stephens sets up Keys rematch in Paris
"I'm not ever going to try to be a person that isn't nice, so that feels more authentic to me and, you know, I think I'm still doing okay. Well, trying to be as nice as possible."
Keys also confirmed that she and head coach Lindsay Davenport, who was in attendance on Court Suzanne Lenglen, would cease to work quite as closely together after the tournament.
"She's no longer going to be 'the' head coach, but I will always have a relationship with Lindsay. And whenever she's at a tournament, she will be around and be helping out. And there's still going to be weeks where she's going to be there. So really not a lot has changed. Just more the official title," Keys said.
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