Madison Keys is rising from the ashes and poised to finally claim her first Grand Slam title. After nearly 16 years in professional tennis, the American showcased her tenacity by defeating five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in a gripping semifinal at the Australian Open. In a match that tested her limits, Keys fought back from a set down to secure a hard-fought victory with a score of 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8). This win not only marks her return to a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2017 US Open, where she faced Sloane Stephens but also presents her with a chance for redemption against Aryna Sabalenka.

In a thrilling contest that lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes, Keys displayed remarkable resilience. After dropping the first set, she dominated the second and battled fiercely in the third. Whenever Swiatek attempted to gain momentum, Keys countered with fierce determination, ultimately sealing her victory in a nail-biting tiebreak. “Yeah, I’m still trying to catch up to everything that’s happening,” Keys said after the match, expressing her disbelief at reaching the finals.

The emotional weight of her journey was palpable as she reflected on her past heartbreaks. In a poignant throwback to her loss against Sabalenka in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open, Madison expressed her feelings during a press conference, stating, “I think everyone at the start of the tournament would obviously be really, really excited to be in the semis, but right now it sucks. But, yeah, I just think being able to take this and turn it into a positive is really possible and yeah, there’s still a lot to be proud of.” Those words resonated deeply as she choked back tears, highlighting her struggle and determination after she lost the match that year to 6-0, 6-7(1) 6-7(5) after winning the first set.

Now, with redemption in her sights, Keys faces Sabalenka once again in the final. As Tennis journalist Bastein Fachan noted, “Now Madison Keys gets to face Aryna Sabalenka again in a Grand Slam FINAL ✨ DESTINY!!!” Their H2H stands at 4-1, with Sabalenka in the lead. The only time Keys has taken down the Belarusian is during the 2021 Berlin Open in the round of 16.

As anticipation builds for their showdown on Saturday, will Madison seize this opportunity to clinch her first Grand Slam title? Only time will tell. But right now Keys seems ready to take this challenge head on.

Madison Keys looks forward to a clash with World No.1

While Madison Keys was busy pulling off an incredible comeback against Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka was making her own statement by defeating her best friend Paula Badosa, 6-4, 6-2, in Thursday evening’s first semifinal on Rod Laver Arena. Sabalenka was in commanding form, firing 32 winners to just 21 unforced errors during the 86-minute match. Now heading into her third consecutive Australian Open final since 2023, the two-time defending champion will face a fired-up Keys.

In her post-match interview, Keys reflected on the dramatic win over Swiatek. “I feel like even though I lost the first set, I felt like I was playing some better tennis at the end of it and I felt like I actually had a little bit of momentum going into the second set,” she shared. “To be able to run with that second set and really kind of be able to settle was really nice.” Speaking about the rollercoaster final service game, she admitted to having “blacked out at some point” Despite the chaos, Keys fought through it all and sealed her victory in a thrilling 10-point tiebreaker.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s final against Sabalenka, Keys isn’t expecting long rallies but rather a power-packed contest. “Definitely some big hitting – I think it is going to happen. Not a lot of long points,” she said. Acknowledging Sabalenka’s dominance, she added, “She is obviously going for her third Aussie Open and I’m excited to get to play her. I’m really excited for the challenge … (but) Saturday is very far away in my brain right now.”

While Keys believes Sunday is still far away, it’s not really that far away. It’s just one day and these two fierce competitors will have their showdown at Rod Laver Arena. So will Madison finally take her revenge? Or will Sabalenka secure an Australian Open hat trick? Share your thoughts in the comments below!