Keys shocks Sabalenka to clinch maiden major title

In 2015, Madison Keys announced herself as a major talent by reaching the Australian Open semifinals as a 19-year-old.

Ten years later, the American has become a major champion after defeating No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final to claim her first Grand Slam trophy.

Two-time defending champion Sabalenka had come into the final on a 20-match winning streak at Melbourne Park and with an 11-0 unbeaten record in 2025 after lifting the Brisbane trophy three weeks ago. She had been aiming to become the first woman to seal a hat-trick of Australian Open titles since Martina Hingis in 1997-99, and owned a 4-1 head-to-head lead over No.19 seed Keys — including a 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6[5] heartbreaker in the 2023 US Open semifinals.

Keys had also lost her only previous Grand Slam final 6-3, 6-0 to Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open. Yet, having come into 2025 wielding a brand new Yonex racquet and an altered service motion, the 29-year-old delivered a bravura performance to overturn the odds. Keys had already become the player with the longest gap between their first two Slam finals in the Open Era, and her victory makes her the fourth-oldest first-time Slam champion in the Open Era.

Having saved match point to upset No.2 seed Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, Keys becomes the 16th player in the Open Era to win a Slam after facing match point — and the first since Swiatek herself at Roland Garros last year.

Keys is the fourth player this decade to beat the World No.1 and World No.2 in the same tournament, and first since Elena Rybakina defeated Swiatek and Sabalenka to win Indian Wells 2023. She is the first to do so at a Slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Serena Williams and Dinara Safina to win Roland Garros 2009.

This tournament marked Keys’ 46th Grand Slam main-draw appearance. Only two players have taken more appearances before winning their first title — Flavia Pennetta with 49, and Marion Bartoli with 47.

Currently ranked No.14, Keys will return to her career high of No.7 in the PIF WTA Rankings on Monday. She last held that position for three weeks in October 2016.

Keys has extended her winning streak to 12, the longest of her career, after winning the Adelaide title two weeks ago. This final was the first between players who had won a lead-up tournament since the Australian Open moved to its January calendar position in 1987. (In 2015, it was contested between Brisbane champion Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, who had won the 2014 WTA Finals Singapore and not played a January lead-up; in 1985, it was contested in November between Martina Navratilova, who had won Sydney the week before, and Chris Evert, who had won Tokyo two weeks before.)

Keys is the first player in the Open Era to win the Australian Open title with three-set victories in her final four rounds. She is the fifth to do so in a major following Sue Barker (Roland Garros 1976), Conchita Martínez (Wimbledon 1994), Maria Sharapova (Roland Garros 2014) and Jelena Ostapenko (Roland Garros 2017).