Madison Keys opened her 2024 season in spectacular fashion, claiming her ninth career WTA title at the Adelaide International. Facing fellow American and tournament top seed Jessica Pegula in Saturday’s final, Keys prevailed in a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 6-1 victory.
Despite encountering an upper leg injury midway through the match, Keys found another gear in the deciding set, leaving Pegula little room to counter. The win also marked Keys’ 30th career victory over a Top 10 player.
Keys, ranked world No.20, was unstoppable throughout the WTA 500 tournament in Australia. She powered past tough opponents, including Beatriz Haddad Maia, Jelena Ostapenko, and Daria Kasatkina, before facing Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals, a match that ended prematurely due to Samsonova’s injury.
Returning to Adelaide for the first time since her 2022 triumph, when the event was a WTA 250, Keys expressed her fondness for the city during the trophy ceremony. “I feel so lucky to be back here. Last time, I lifted the trophy, and now I’m holding it again. Clearly, this place is special for me, and maybe I should keep coming back!” she said with a smile.
The final began with Keys dictating play, as she raced through the opening set in just 31 minutes. However, the momentum shifted early in the second set when Pegula surged ahead 4-0. During this stretch, Keys left the court for a medical timeout, returning with her upper left leg heavily taped.
Though Pegula capitalized to level the match at one set apiece, Keys regrouped in the third set. Her serve and solid baseline play returned in full force, as she broke Pegula twice and closed the match in style.
Keys’ powerful performance was reflected in the numbers. She fired 10 aces and struck 26 winners, while limiting Pegula to just six. During the post-match ceremony, Pegula commended her opponent, saying, “You hit the ball harder than anybody. I think I maybe hit three winners, I don’t know, but it was tough. You’ve been playing amazing all week.”
With this title under her belt, Keys now shifts her focus to the Australian Open, where she begins her campaign on Tuesday against compatriot Ann Li. Pegula, who opens against Australian wildcard Maya Joint on Monday, will also be looking to carry her strong form into the season’s first Grand Slam. (source: WTA, photo: Jimmie48)
