MIAMI -- It would be understandable if Madison Keys decided to relax and take a deep cleansing breath after her breakthrough win at the Australian Open -- a major goal since she was a little girl.

But that’s not how her mind works.

“I think in a lot of ways, it’s made me want more -- because that was very fun,” Keys told reporters in advance of the Miami Open. “I definitely want to do that again. 

“There’s also a little bit of a freedom. Because it kind of felt like something that was expected of me for a really long time. And being able to move past that on a personal level, I think, really helped me enjoy tennis a little bit more. I’m looking forward to continue playing with that freedom.”

The No. 5-seeded Keys began the year ranked No. 21, but after nearly three months she’s No. 1 in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals, ahead of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and the searing hot 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.

Must See

After her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elina Avanesyan on Friday night, Keys has won 19 of 21 matches this season, with titles in Adelaide and Melbourne. Only Andreeva (20) has accumulated more victories.

Keys faces surprising teenage wild card Alexandra Eala, who defeated No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(2), 7-5, in a third-round match on Sunday.

As wildly successful as Keys has been, she was coming off a bitter disappointment at Indian Wells. After six weeks off following the Australian Open, she put together some nice wins in the desert, beating Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. It was her 16th straight match-win and she looked forward to again meeting Sabalenka, whom she beat in the Aussie final.

Sabalenka, however, extracted her revenge in a dominant 6-0, 6-1 match that sent Keys back home to Florida, where she hit the reset button.

Is it easier to process a blowout loss than, say, a tough third-set tiebreak?

“Obviously, the emotional kind of turmoil of having a really close match where you felt like you had opportunities is a little bit more of a challenge,” Keys said. “For me, the loss last week, it just felt very frustrating. I couldn’t find my game and being in that position is never really super enjoyable, as you can probably imagine.

“I think they’re different, but I think there’s also the perspective of just looking at the big picture of the year. I’ve had a lot of really great matches and I’ve been able to figure things out in a lot of situations. I think it’s just one of those ones that sometimes you have a really bad day and just can’t find things. By the time I was back on the practice court, I was pretty clear-headed and ready to work toward the Miami Open.”

This match could require some real effort, for Eala has already turned heads here with wins over Ostapenko and Katie Volynets. The 19-year-old could become the first Filipino player in the Open Era to defeat a Grand Slam champion at WTA level, and the first at either the WTA/ATP level since Eric Taino defeated Michael Chang in Indianapolis (R64) in 2003. The two other Asian teenagers to defeat a major champion in the past decade: Naomi Osaka and Zheng Qinwen.

Keys was once that kind of young phenomenon. She’s been a professional tennis player for more than half her life, turning 30 last month. Even she seemed surprised when she took the crown in Melbourne.

“Obviously, it’s a huge achievement,” Keys said. “It’s something I’m incredibly proud of. I feel like I’ve just tried to continually build on that and kind of run with that momentum and confidence.”