Keys triumphs over Sabalenka in a thrilling final
Madison Keys secured her maiden Grand Slam title with a stunning victory over defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open 2025 women’s singles final at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The American tennis star won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, capping off an incredible run in the tournament.
Keys, who was playing in only her second major final and first in over seven years, finally achieved her dream after previously finishing as a runner-up at the 2017 US Open.
For Sabalenka, the defeat ended her quest to match Martina Hingis’ record of three consecutive Australian Open titles from 1997 to 1999. Having won the title in 2023 and 2024, the world number one was aiming for a rare three-peat but fell short in the final set.
A historic moment for Madison Keys
At 29 years old, Madison Keys becomes the fourth-oldest woman to win her first Grand Slam title. The American, ranked world number 14, had an outstanding campaign in Melbourne, including a semi-final victory over Iga Swiatek, one of the tournament favorites.
After sealing the match point, Keys clasped her head in disbelief before sharing an emotional embrace with her husband and coach, Bjorn Fratangelo.
Keys expressed her emotions in the post-match interview, saying she had wanted this for so long and was unsure if she would ever get another opportunity to compete for a Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka’s near miss and emotional exit
Sabalenka, 25 years old, was one set away from cementing her dominance at the Australian Open but was unable to overcome Keys in a tense final set. After the match, an upset Sabalenka covered her head with a towel and stormed off to the locker room before later returning to a warm ovation from the 15,000 fans inside Rod Laver Arena.
The world number one had only dropped one set before the final and was seen as the strong favorite, especially after defeating Paula Badosa in the semi-finals.
Head-to-head and previous encounters
Despite the loss, Sabalenka still leads 4-2 in their head-to-head matchups. The two had faced each other in Grand Slam tournaments twice before, with Sabalenka winning both at the US Open semi-finals and Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2023.
Keys’ only previous win against Sabalenka came in Berlin in 2021. In their last Grand Slam meeting, the 2023 US Open semi-final, Keys won the opening set 6-0 but eventually lost to Sabalenka. This time, she managed to hold her nerve and claim the biggest title of her career.
The victory cements Keys’ status among the top players in women’s tennis, and with this breakthrough win, she will rise in the WTA rankings as she looks forward to more success in the coming season.
