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American tennis professional Madison Keys discussed the severe health issues she faced after the 2023 Australian Open, stating that she suffered from shingles in her mouth and subsequently battled food poisoning.
Keys exited the year's first Grand Slam in the third round after losing to Victoria Azarenka in three sets 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.
During her second round match interview with Tennis Channel at the 2023 Italian Open, the World No. 24 stated that she suffered from shingles in her mouth after the Australian Open in January and couldn't eat for three weeks, which led to her losing 15 pounds.
"After Australian Open, I got shingles, but in my mouth, and I couldn't eat for three weeks, so I lost like 15 pounds," Keys said.
The shingles forced the 28-year-old to go on a liquid diet, which led to her suffering from food poisoning at the 2023 Indian Wells Open.
After her quarterfinal appearance in South Carolina, Keys took a break to recover and get back to her best level physically. The 28-year-old also reflected on the importance of the recovery phase, as it was vital for her to continue the 2023 season on a strong note.
"I have no muscle, I'm so tired all the time, and knowing that Madrid was two weeks and I kind of had almost a month to kind of just rebuild, felt like it was more important for me to get through the rest of the season," Keys said.
Madison Keys looks to outperform everyone in Rome
Madison Keys is hoping to get her 2023 season back on track at the Italian Open in Rome. The American is through to the third of the 2023 Italian Open after getting a bye in the first round and beating Poland's Magdalena Frech in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in the second round match.
Keys will face Victoria Azarenka in the third round, whom she has already met twice on the tour this year. In their last encounter, Keys comfortably overcame the Belarusian in the fourth round of the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships, beating her in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
Keys has previously experienced success in Rome, reaching the final of the tournament in 2016. She defeated Petra Kvitova in the second round and Garbine Muguruza in the semifinal before her fairytale run was ended by Serena Williams, who lifted her fourth and last Italian Open title in 2016.
