American Madison Keys, the 19th seed, who had written one stunning upset after another at the 2025 Australian Open, had one last stunning match left for her and world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Alina. – Sabalenka won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win her first major title.
Keys’ surprising victory Saturday clinched the 29-year-old American’s first Grand Slam title in 46 appearances. Only two other women (Flavia Pennetta and Marion Bartoli) made more appearances before their first major title. It has also been eight years since Keys last reached a Grand Slam final. She lost the 2017 US Open. She said she had been living nearby ever since. Her previous best Australian Open finish was 10 years ago when she reached the semi-finals in 2015.
“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” Keyes said. “I’ve been to one other Slam final, but it just wasn’t going my way. I didn’t know I was coming back…and my team made myself You believed in me when I didn’t.
“Last year was really tough because I had a bad injury. I didn’t know if I would be able to do it again.”
Keys also became the first American woman to win the Australian Open since Sofia Kenin in 2020.
Sabalenka has won the last two Australian Opens in addition to the 2024 US Open, but Key kept her on her heels from the moment the match began. Keys broke Sabalenka’s serve in the opening game and never looked back, eventually taking a 5-1 lead in the first set. Even after losing serve on her first attempt to close the set, Keys shrugged off the missed opportunity by quickly breaking Sabalenka’s serve again.
Keys held serve in the first game of the second set and appeared to have firm control of the match. However, Sabalenka calmly won the next five games and, along with the momentum of the match, regained her lost confidence.
That set the stage for a tense third set, with both players holding subs for the first 11 games. At 6-5, Keys finally fought Sabalenka’s serve, setting up two championship points. Her strong cross-court winner in the second delivered her first title. Key threw her arms up and burst into tears. By the time she settled in her seat, she was half ripped, half hugged, and in the moment of disbelief.
“I’m dazed and confused,” she said later.
“I really kept saying to myself, try to keep the score close and keep the pressure on her,” Keys said. “And in the last game, I thought I picked it.”
Sabalenka has dominated hard courts in recent years, owning the Australian Open with back-to-back titles. Her frustration at becoming the first woman to win the third straight Australian since Martina Hingis in 1999 boiled over as soon as the match ended when she broke her racket on the sideline. I did. She eventually calmed down and was gracious in defeat, admiring the keys during the trophy presentation.
“I had to throw those negative emotions away at the end so I could give the speech,” Sabalenka said. “I was just trying to let it go and be a good person and be respectful.”
Keys lost an epic three-set semifinal to Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open, winning the first set 6-0 and then entering the match only to lose the final two sets in a tiebreaker. It was a frustrating defeat that Keys said he has thought about often since then.
“I’m glad to have you back,” Keys told Sabalenka after accepting the championship trophy.
Keys’ rise to champions coincided with her coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo, who suggested she change the type of racket she uses. The decision paid off: her serve immediately improved. Including her win over Sabalenka, Keys has now won 12 consecutive matches.
Using that booming serve, along with a powerful forehand, Key progressed through the tournament, upset one after another, a total of four. During the third round American Beat No. 10 Danielle Collins in straight sets delivered an unexpected victory against No. 6 Elena Rybakina in round four. In the quarterfinals, Keys defeated No. 28 Elinas Vitorina after dropping the first set. Keys then made the final after second Iga Switek in the semi-finals in a thrilling third set tiebreaker.
“I didn’t know if I would be back in this position. So being here and working hard… it all paid off,” Keyes said. “It’s incredible.”
Keys won five three-set matches during the tournament. This is the most for a single Australian Open since the Open era. She became the first woman since 2009 to defeat the top two seeds in a major. Her resilience probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Keys turned pro 16 years ago and has had a long climb to this moment, including an injury battle last year. Her highest previous world ranking was 7th in 2016. After delivering the best win of her career over Sabalenka, she could be on track for a sudden rise in 2025.
