American Madison Keys, winner of the Australian Open, beat first-placed Arya Sabalenka
American tennis star Madison Keys upset top seed Arya Sabalenka to win Australian Open on Saturday.
Keys, 29, won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in a tense match to claim her first victory Grand Slam tournament.
Keys finished with just one point more than Sabalenka overall, scoring 92 points to Sabalenka’s 91.
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Madison Keys, center, of the United States reacts as she receives the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup from Evonne Goolagong Cawley after defeating Aryna Sabalenko of Belarus in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Sabalenka was trying to win her third consecutive Australian Open, something that was last accomplished by Martini Hingis in 1997-1999.
It was the second time in her career that Keys had a shot at a major title, the last being a 6-3, 6-0 loss to compatriot Sloane Stephens in 2017. US Open.
Keys had high expectations for herself in her tennis career, but has come to accept the fact that she may never win a Grand Slam title.
“From a pretty young age I felt like I would never win a Grand Slam, I would never live up to what people thought I should be. That was a pretty heavy burden to carry,” Keys said.
NOVAK ĐOKOVIĆ EXCUSED AFTER WITHDRAWING FROM THE SEMI-FINAL MATCH OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Madison Keys of the United States reacts during the women’s singles final match against Arya Sabalenka of Belarus at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
“So I finally got to a point where I was proud of myself and my career, with or without a Grand Slam. I finally got to a point where I was OK if it didn’t happen. I didn’t need that to feel like I had a good career or that I deserve to be talked about as a great tennis player.
“I feel like I’m finally letting go of that kind of internal conversation that I just gave myself the opportunity to really go out there and play really good tennis to actually win a Grand Slam.”
Not only did Keys upset No. 1 Sabalenka, but she beat No. 2 Igu Świątek in the semifinals en route to winning the Australian Open.
Keys was the first woman of Serena Williams 2005 defeating both the top two WTA players at Melbourne Park. She said the win over Swiatek gave her the confidence to beat Sabalenka.
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Madison Keys of the United States speaks during a press conference after defeating Aryna Sabalenko of Belarus in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
“Winning that match against Iga was a big hurdle,” Keys said. “I always believed I could do it, but to do it like that — I really thought after the match that I absolutely could win on Saturday.”
This was Keys’ 46th Slam appearance, the third most before she won a women’s major, compared to only Flavia Pennetta’s 49 appearances and Marion Bartoli’s 47 appearances before winning.
“I didn’t always believe I could get back to this point. But to be able to do it and win, it means the world to me.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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