Madison Keys not shaking hands with Amanda Anisimova left tennis fans baffled, but there is a logical explanation for the 30-year-old's decision as the 30-year-old American appeared to be feeling unwell and indicated to the younger compatriot that she didn't want to risk potentially passing the virus on to her.
In an all-American WTA Finals, battle it was 24-year-old Anisimova who came out on top after claiming a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win to improve to 1-1 in Riyadh. But before sealing the win, the 2025 Wimbledon and US Open finalist had to mount quite a comeback since she was 4-6 0-2 down at one point.
After picking up her second defeat at the WTA Finals and losing her chances of qualifying for the semifinal, Keys went to the net but didn't shake Anisimova's hand. Instead, the 30-year-old pointed towards her chest and stomach, indicating that she was dealing with some kind of illness. The younger American laughed it off and appeared to accept it. The reigning Australian Open champion also didn't shake hands with the umpire.
Will Keys play her WTA Finals group-stage finale?
Keys, who appeared to be struggling during the Anisimova match, is due to play against Elena Rybakina on Tuesday. But considering that she is probably battling a virus and has also lost her chances of making reaching the last-4 in Riyadh, the question is whether she will pull out and give Mirra Andreeva a chance to make her WTA Finals debut as an alternate.
Keys also failed to make it past the group stage in her previous WTA Finals appearance in 2016.
