American tennis star, Madison Keys, stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to claim her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday.
At 29, Keys achieved a career-defining victory, putting an end to Sabalenka’s bid for a historic third consecutive singles crown at Melbourne Park.
The 19th seed was overcome with emotion as she celebrated the hard-fought win, shedding tears of joy after surviving a spirited comeback from Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian, whose remarkable 20-match winning streak in Melbourne came to a halt, buried her face in a towel in disappointment.
Keys’ triumph marked the culmination of a 15-year journey, from being a teenage sensation to finally reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
Reflecting on the achievement, Keys said, “I have wanted this for so long and I have been in one other Grand Slam final and it did not go my way. I didn’t know if I was ever going to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again.”
Her journey has been a long one. Touted as a future world number one after winning her first WTA Tour match at just 14, Keys reached her maiden Major semifinal in Melbourne a decade ago at the age of 19.
Now, 10 years later, she has achieved her long-awaited dream.
“I made my very first Grand Slam semifinal here in Melbourne,” Keys shared. “So to now have won my first Grand Slam in the same place means the absolute world to me. My team believed in me every step of the way. So thank you so much. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and helped me every step of the way. Last year was so tough, with some really bad injuries, I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to do it again.”
Keys, who will now match her career-high ranking of seventh in the world, becomes the fourth oldest first-time Grand Slam winner in the Open Era.
Sabalenka, a dominant force in Melbourne since 2022, handled the defeat with grace.
“First of all, Madison, what a tournament. You have been fighting really hard to get this trophy,” she said. “I really feel like it’s home when I’m here and I’ll come back stronger and do my best next year.”
The final began with Keys taking control early, despite playing with her left thigh strapped.
Her precision on serve—landing 86% of her first serves—kept Sabalenka under pressure. Keys capitalized on her opponent’s errors, including three double faults, to take the opening set in just 35 minutes.
Sabalenka, known for her resilience, mounted a strong comeback in the second set.
Breaking Keys twice, the Belarusian used her powerful cross-court shots to even the match, showcasing the same fighting spirit that helped her recover from a similar deficit against Keys in the 2023 US Open semifinal.
However, this time, Keys stood firm. In the final set, the two players traded blows in a fierce baseline battle, neither willing to concede ground.
At 5-6, Sabalenka served to force a tiebreak, but Keys seized her opportunity, earning two match points and converting the second with her 29th winner after a grueling two hours and two minutes on court.