An emotional Madison Keys stunned the tennis world on Saturday by securing her maiden Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open, vanquishing top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set battle, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. The 29-year-old American not only sealed her first major title but also dashed Sabalenka’s hopes of becoming the first woman in 26 years to clinch a third consecutive singles crown at Melbourne Park.
Keys, visibly overcome with emotion, wept tears of joy upon clinching her long-awaited victory, having withstood an intense resurgence from the defending champion. Sabalenka, who had been undefeated at the Australian Open for 20 matches, bowed her head in defeat, reflecting the sting of her rare loss in Melbourne.
For Keys, the triumph represented the culmination of a 15-year journey from prodigious teenage talent to Grand Slam champion. “I have yearned for this moment for so long,” Keys confessed, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been in another Grand Slam final, but it didn’t go my way, and I didn’t know if I’d ever be in this position again.”
Once hailed as a future world number one after winning her first WTA Tour match at just 14, Keys had tasted early success but was also no stranger to setbacks. At the age of 19, she reached her first major semi-final here at Melbourne Park, but only now, a decade later, has she realized the dream of holding a Grand Slam trophy.
“To win my first Grand Slam here, where it all began with my first semi-final, is beyond meaningful to me,” Keys said, reflecting on her career’s evolution. She had previously finished as the runner-up at the 2017 US Open.
Her victory now propels her to a career-high ranking of No. 7, a position she last held nine years ago. “My team never stopped believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” she said. “Last year was incredibly tough due to some severe injuries, and there were times I wondered if I could ever get back here.”
Although Sabalenka, who had been the dominant force at the Australian Open for the last two years, was understandably disappointed with her loss, she displayed grace and sportsmanship. “Madison, what a tournament. You fought so hard for this trophy,” Sabalenka acknowledged. “I truly feel at home here, and I’ll come back even stronger next year.”
The match unfolded in dramatic fashion. Keys started with confidence and precision, applying relentless pressure to Sabalenka, racing through the first set in a mere 35 minutes. However, the Belarusian champion swiftly regrouped, breaking Keys’ serve early in the second set to gain control, leveling the match after 80 minutes of play.
By this point, Sabalenka had found her rhythm, displaying the explosive power that had earned her back-to-back titles in Melbourne. A younger Keys might have faltered, but the more seasoned version of the American, who had survived a marathon tie-break in her semi-final against Iga Świątek, was made of sterner stuff.
As the final set neared its conclusion, Sabalenka served to force a decisive tie-break. But at 5-6, Keys held her nerve, seizing two match points. With unflinching resolve, she sealed the victory on her second match point, unleashing a blistering 29th winner after two hours and two minutes of intense, high-level tennis.
