In between the disappointments there was a heck of a lot of brilliance for Madison Keys in 2016. The 21-year-old made the second week of every major, made her Top 10 debut (she was the first American to make a top 10 debut since 1999!) and was the youngest player to qualify for the World Tour Finals in Singapore.

More: Kerber Shuts Down Keys and Paves the Way for Cibulkova in Singapore

In the end Keys couldn’t overcome the matchup issues that had plagued her all season against Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber. The blossoming American with the booming serve still needs to develop more shot tolerance to defeat the WTA’s top grinders on slower surfaces.

But 2016 was most certainly a step in the right direction for Keys. At 21 she has become a member of the Top 10 and taken several steps towards asserting herself as one of the premier power players in women’s tennis today.

There were many times this season where Keys appeared to be on the cusp of an even bigger breakthrough but fell painfully short. She was up a set on Simona Halep on Wimbledon’s Manic Monday but picked up an injury and fell in three. She was on fire at the Olympics and playing brilliantly, but ran into Kerber’s buzzsaw in the semis that frustratingly lost the Bronze medal match as well. So close, but not so far?

So what can Keys do to get to the next level? The American has some ideas.

“I think a big thing that I need to work on is being able to separate my feeling and emotions from matches,” Keys said. “I think when it’s a high-stress situation my tennis definitely takes a big dip, and that’s something I’m going to have to work on.”

She added: “It happens to a lot of people and they figure it out. I’m obviously not the best at it at 21.”

Experience and maturity will certainly help Keys. And time should facilitate that process. With a long season to reflect and relax, she could very well come back to Australia on an entirely different, higher plane. For now, the easy-going American is happy for the experience and proud of the steps she’s made as a player on tour.

“Overall it’s an amazing experience to be here and I worked really hard to get here so I’m proud of myself for that.”