section_path: Career/2019: First clay court & Premier 5 titles
section_name: 2019: First clay court & Premier 5 titles
paragraph_text: 2019: First clay court & Premier 5 titles
  
  Keys began the season at the Australian Open, where she lost in the fourth round to Elina Svitolina. She only played in two more tournaments during the early-year hardcourt season, losing her opening matches at both the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open. Nonetheless, Keys was able to bounce back in the clay-court season. After returning to her former coach Juan Todero, she won her first career WTA Tour clay-court title at the Charleston Open. During the tournament, she recorded her first wins over Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals and the final, respectively, despite having never won a set against either player. She continued her clay-court success at the French Open, where she lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Ashleigh Barty.
  
  Despite entering the Cincinnati Open in August on a three-match losing streak, and having won multiple matches at just three events all season, Keys won the tournament for her first Premier 5 title, and the fifth of her career. She upset No. 4 and reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in the third round, having lost five consecutive matches against the Romanian, before defeating Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. With the title, Keys returned to the top 10 for the first time since June 2018. At her next two tournaments, Keys won multiple matches as well. She reached the fourth round of the US Open, establishing a career-high nine match winning streak, before losing to Svitolina for the second time at a major this year. She then retired against Angelique Kerber in the third set of the quarterfinals at the Pan Pacific Open and lost to compatriot Jennifer Brady in the second round at the China Open. Keys closed out her season at the WTA Elite Trophy. With a loss to Zheng Saisai and a win over Petra Martić, she finished tied for first in her round robin group, but did not advance due to the tiebreak criteria. She ended the year ranked No. 13 in the world, her fifth consecutive year-end top 20 ranking.
  
  Keys began the season at the Australian Open, where she lost in the fourth round to Elina Svitolina. She only played in two more tournaments during the early-year hardcourt season, losing her opening matches at both the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open. Nonetheless, Keys was able to bounce back in the clay-court season. After returning to her former coach Juan Todero, she won her first career WTA Tour clay-court title at the Charleston Open. During the tournament, she recorded her first wins over Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals and the final, respectively, despite having never won a set against either player. She continued her clay-court success at the French Open, where she lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Ashleigh Barty.
  
  Despite entering the Cincinnati Open in August on a three-match losing streak, and having won multiple matches at just three events all season, Keys won the tournament for her first Premier 5 title, and the fifth of her career. She upset No. 4 and reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in the third round, having lost five consecutive matches against the Romanian, before defeating Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. With the title, Keys returned to the top 10 for the first time since June 2018. At her next two tournaments, Keys won multiple matches as well. She reached the fourth round of the US Open, establishing a career-high nine match winning streak, before losing to Svitolina for the second time at a major this year. She then retired against Angelique Kerber in the third set of the quarterfinals at the Pan Pacific Open and lost to compatriot Jennifer Brady in the second round at the China Open. Keys closed out her season at the WTA Elite Trophy. With a loss to Zheng Saisai and a win over Petra Martić, she finished tied for first in her round robin group, but did not advance due to the tiebreak criteria. She ended the year ranked No. 13 in the world, her fifth consecutive year-end top 20 ranking.