Madison Keys of the United States celebrates after defeating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025.
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Ng Han Guan/AFP
American tennis player Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday. The win was a huge victory for Keys, who was ranked No. 19 heading into the final. She defeated Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, who was hoping to win the tournament for the third year in a row.
“I’ve wanted it for a long time and reached another Grand Slam final. It didn’t go my way and I didn’t know if I would be able to get back in that position to try and win the title.” “The Cup back,” Keys told reporters in her television interview after the winning match. Her voice cracked with emotion when she talked about having to overcome injuries to train for this match.
Her opponent, Sabalenka, is ranked first in the world in women’s singles tennis, and ranked second in the world in doubles tennis. She has already won the Australian Open twice.
But Keys was able to throw the tennis giant off balance with a stunning opening set, and eventually won the entire tournament in the final set, which was tied until the end.
Madison Keys, right, of the United States is congratulated by Aryna Sabalenka, left, of Belarus after the women’s singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025.
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The long road to Keys’ victory
Keys’ professional tennis debut coincided with her 14th birthday. After winning her first match, she was eliminated from the tournament in the next round. But that did not discourage her: when she was 14, she competed in her second tournament ever, beating Serena Williams, who had just won Wimbledon earlier that month.
Her early success did not always translate into Grand Slam success. In 2017, she reached the final of the US Open, but lost to Sloane Stephens. It took her seven years to return to a Grand Slam final, reaching the semi-finals of the French Open and US Open in 2018, but she was unable to go any further. Previously, she was among the top 50 tennis players in the world, but her ranking dropped due to her suffering from injuries.
In 2022, she returned to the top 25 in women’s singles tennis after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, but was unable to beat Sabalenka, who ended up winning the entire tournament. Three years later, Keys faced Sabalenka again, but this time, the two were the last remaining players.
Madison Keys of the United States hugs the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, January 25, 2025.
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The rematch between the Keys reached the final group of the tournament
Keys was having an impressive showing at the Australian Open even before she faced Sabalenka in the final. She had wins over higher-ranked players, such as Danielle Collins and world No. 2 Iga Svetek, but that did not guarantee her a win over Sabalenka, the No. 1 tennis player in the world.
Keys won her first set against Sabalenka, taking advantage of Sabalenka’s nerves. Her stunning serves always seemed to reach their target, while Sabalenka’s serve, which had been shaky throughout the tournament, was unable to find its rhythm in the final.
In her second set, Sabalenka’s serve became more precise, and she was able to level the score: both players won one set, needing to win the third and final set to regain the title.
The final set of the Australian Open had high stakes for both competitors: Sabalenka was aiming for her third consecutive win at this tournament, something that had not happened in more than two decades. Keys, a tennis prodigy, was hoping to finally win a Grand Slam title and strengthen her position among the greats of women’s tennis.
Keys served first in the final set, and Sabalenka succeeded in providing an exemplary performance and settled the result at five to five on her serve. A women’s Grand Slam final has not been this close since 2012, when Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka.
With the score still at five-five, Keys needed two points to win the entire tournament, which she did with her extra energy allowing her to overcome an exhausted Sabalenka.
“I think we did our best, but Maddison was performing great and I couldn’t do anything in this match,” Sabalenka told reporters after the match. “Next time I play Madison, I’ll bring better tennis. Of course, sending love to my team. I love you even though we lost.”