Nineteenth seed Madison Keys pulled off a stunning upset, dethroning two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka with a thrilling 6-3 2-6 7-5 victory in the Australian Open final. It was heartbreak for Sabalenka and sheer tears of joy for Keys in a match to remember!
After just 17 minutes of play, Keys established a commanding double-break lead at 4-1. She maintained her dominance with a love hold and even secured a set point on Sabalenka’s serve in the next game. Although the Belarusian briefly rallied, managing to stay in the set a bit longer with a break of her own, Keys ultimately closed out the set in 35 minutes with a decisive winner, 6-3. In the opening set, Sabalenka managed only four winners compared to Keys’ 11 and committed 13 unforced errors, three more than her opponent.
Sabalenka improved her first-serve percentage as her opponent’s numbers in that area declined significantly. Regrouping in the second set, she surged to a commanding 5-1 lead—mirroring the deficit she faced in the first set. After 45 minutes of play, Sabalenka capitalized on her third set point when Keys narrowly sent a forehand long, securing the set 6-2.
The third set turned into an intense battle, staying on serve until Keys led 6-5. At that point, she earned two break points and championship points, seizing her opportunity on the second with a decisive winner to claim her first major title in her second Grand Slam final.
The American’s path to the title was nothing short of remarkable. She defeated Ann Li in the first round, Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second, 10th seed Danielle Collins in the third, former Wimbledon champion and 6th seed Elena Rybakina in the fourth, 28th seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, and ultimately dethroned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Keys’ winning equipment: the Nike Spring Melbourne Dress and Yonex EZONE 98 (2025) tennis racquet.
