30-year-old Madison Keys showcased an incredible performance at Rod Laver Arena, achieving a major upset in the women’s singles final on Saturday, January 25.
Seeded 19th, Keys surprised World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in two hours and two minutes, preventing the reigning champion from achieving a historic third consecutive Australian Open title.
Madison Keys had endured the regret of her defeat in the US Open final of 2017 for eight long years. When she was presented with the chance to rectify her mistakes in her second major final, she grabbed it eagerly, delivering the finest tennis of her life at Melbourne Park.
With sharp groundstrokes and strong serves, Keys halted Sabalenka’s impressive streak on the hard courts of Melbourne. The loss ended Sabalenka’s remarkable run of 20 consecutive victories at the Australian Open.
It was only appropriate that Madison Keys sealed her second match point in style, slamming a forehand across the court to reach the finish line. This win made Keys the fifth distinct American woman to claim the Australian Open title since 2000.
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Prior to the match, tennis icon Sania Mirza wondered if Aryna Sabalenka would experience pressure, considering she hadn’t been defeated in a hard-court Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open. Sabalenka demonstrated she was indeed human, beginning the final with a double fault and allowing a break in her opening service game.
