The fruit of patience is truly the sweetest, and Madison Keys knows this well. But it didn’t come from just waiting around; it came from relentless hard work and a rush to improve. The 29-year-old took down two-time reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open, clinching her first Grand Slam title after 16 years on tour. What a match it was! After losing the second set, Keys rallied in the third, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. What pushed her to make such an impressive victory?

Keys secured a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory, ending Sabalenka’s quest for a historic third consecutive title in Melbourne. The match was a rollercoaster ride. Keys started strong, breaking Sabalenka right away and taking the first set in just 35 minutes. Sabalenka fought back to win the second set, setting up a nail-biting finale. In the deciding set, both battled fiercely until Keys broke Sabalenka’s serve at 5-5 and sealed her victory with a stunning forehand winner, bringing her to tears of joy.

At 29, she became the fourth oldest woman to win her first major title in the Open Era. It’s all thanks to her experience! In her post-match press conference, she said, “I started figuring things out when I wasn’t playing great and then through off season, I just put in a lot of hard work and I started to see tha things were kind of going more the way that I wanted. I just feel like, it’s one of those things that just slowly keeps building and all of a sudden you’re winning a bunch of matches in Adelaide and then you’re coming in here.”

Before the Australian Open, Keys stormed through the ASB Classic reaching the quarterfinals, and then clinched the Adelaide International title. Now she’s made history as the first woman in 20 years to defeat both the World No. 1 and No. 2 players in Melbourne. “I think winning that match against Iga was really kind of a big hurdle,” she noted. Her semifinal win against Iga Swiatek was equally epic; she rallied from match point down to secure her spot in the final.

With the mindset of “I can absolutely win on Saturday.” She finally achieved the much-awaited win of her life. This victory feels even sweeter as it serves as revenge against Sabalenka, who defeated her in the 2023 US Open semifinals. She ended this tournament with no regrets and a well-deserved title, just the way she wanted!

Madison Keys wanted to end the tournament without “regrets”

Keys faced off against five-time Major winner Iga Swiatek on January 23, and it was nothing short of a cliffhanger! While Swiatek was the crowd favorite, Keys made her work hard on the court, ultimately emerging victorious in a nail-biting battle of nerves. With a scoreline of 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8), Keys secured her spot in the title clash down under. This match showcased her revamped mindset and intensity, proving she was ready to take on the challenge.

What fueled this newfound approach? In a press conference before her showdown with Aryna Sabalenka, Keys revealed that her 2023 US Open defeat to Sabalenka significantly impacted her style of play. “After I lost to Aryna at the US Open, I felt like I tried to play safe and I wasn’t playing how I wanted to in the big moments. That felt so bad,” she explained. She realized that if she could just embrace discomfort and play her best tennis, she could walk away without regrets. “I didn’t want to be in the same situation where I looked back and thought, ‘Man, I should have gone for it,’” she concluded.

Ahead of her highly anticipated title clash against Sabalenka, Keys praised her opponent, saying, “Her ability to always go for it, no matter what the score is, is impressive.” With this victory over Swiatek, Keys made history as the first woman in 20 years to defeat both the World No. 1 and No. 2 players at the Australian Open. Now with the title in her grasp, she’s off to a fantastic start in her 2025 season! What else does the American have in store for the rest of the season? Only time will tell!