Sports
Madison Keys Stuns Sabalenka to Win Maiden Australian Open Title

- Madison Keys defeats Aryna Sabalenka to claim her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2025.
- Keys ends Sabalenka’s 20-match Melbourne Park winning streak with a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory.
- The 19th seed celebrates a 15-year journey from rising star to Grand Slam champion.
Madison Keys stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday, clinching her maiden Grand Slam title at the age of 29.
The American halted Sabalenka’s quest to become the first woman in 26 years to claim three consecutive Melbourne Park singles titles.
Keys erupted with joy and wiped away tears after surviving a determined comeback from the Belarusian, a two-time defending champion.
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Sabalenka, who had triumphed in 2023 and 2024, sat with her head buried in a towel as her remarkable 20-match winning streak in Melbourne came to an end.
For 19th-seeded Keys, the victory marked the pinnacle of a 15-year journey from promising teenage talent to Grand Slam champion.
“I have wanted this for so long and I have been in one other Grand Slam final and it did not go my way,” said an emotional Keys, whose coach Bjorn Fratangelo is also her husband.
“I didn’t know if I was ever going to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again.”
The American had been tipped as a future world number one after winning her maiden WTA Tour match at the age of 14.
She made her first major semi-final at Melbourne Park 10 years ago as a 19-year-old, but a decade on she can finally call herself a Grand Slam champion.
“I made my very first Grand Slam semi-final here in Melbourne,” said Keys, the runner-up at the US Open in in 2017.
“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,” added Keys, who will now equal her career-high seventh in the world ranking she attained nine years ago.
“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 becomes the fourth-oldest first-time Grand Slam winner since the Open Era began in 1968, achieving the milestone at age 29.
Sabalenka, gracious in her first Melbourne defeat since 2022, praised Keys after the match:
“First of all, Madison, what a tournament. You have been fighting really hard to get this trophy,” Sabalenka said.
“I really feel like it’s home when I’m here, and I’ll come back stronger and do my best next year.”
Keys began the final with blistering form, dominating Sabalenka and clinching the first set in just 35 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
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However, the Belarusian rebounded in the second set, breaking Keys’ serve in the third game and surging to a 3-1 lead. A stunning cross-court pass earned her another break, and she levelled the match after 80 minutes on court.
Sabalenka, now finding her rhythm, appeared to have momentum on her side. Yet, the mature and battle-hardened Keys, fresh off a grueling semifinal victory over Iga Swiatek in a 10-point final-set tiebreak, stood firm under pressure.
At 5-6 in the deciding set, Keys capitalized on two match points as Sabalenka served to force another tiebreak. On the second match point, Keys sealed her maiden Grand Slam title with a powerful 29th winner, ending the contest after 2 hours and 2 minutes.
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