Ten years after bursting onto the scene as a teenager in Melbourne, Madison Keys has finally etched her name into tennis history. The American stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a dramatic Australian Open final, clinching her maiden Grand Slam title with a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory.
Madison Keys’ journey to tennis immortality has been anything but conventional. A decade after reaching her first Australian Open semifinal at 19, Keys returned to Melbourne Park as an underdog, facing an opponent riding a 20-match winning streak.
Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, was chasing her own slice of history, aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.
Despite the odds, the 29-year-old Keys delivered a masterclass in resilience and power. Her performance was a testament to years of hard work, culminating in a career-defining triumph. “It’s been a long road, but this makes it all worth it,” Keys said, her emotions spilling over as she held the trophy aloft.
The match was as gripping as it was unpredictable. Sabalenka, who had edged Keys in their previous meeting at the 2023 US Open, seemed poised to take control after dominating the second set. But Keys, armed with a revamped serve and newfound mental fortitude, clawed back from the brink. Her blistering forehands and steely composure in the final moments silenced any doubts about her pedigree.
She became the first player since Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009 to defeat the top two seeds en route to a Slam title and extended her career-best winning streak to 12 matches.
