American tennis player Madison Keys won her first ever Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday. The win was a huge victory for Keys, who was seeded 19th in the tournament. She defeated Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, who was hoping to win the tournament for the third year in a row.
"I have wanted this for so long and I have been in one other Grand Slam final. It did not go my way and I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again," Keys told reporters in her on-camera interview after the winning match. Her voice cracked with emotion as she talked about having to overcome injuries to train for this match.
Her competitor, Sabalenka, is ranked No. 1 in the world for women's single tennis, and was formerly No. 2 in the world for doubles.
But Keys was able to knock the tennis titan off balance with a stunning opening set, eventually winning the whole tournament in the third set.
The long road to Keys victory
Keys' professional tennis debut coincided with her 14th birthday. After winning her first match, she was knocked out of the tournament in the next round. But that did not discourage her: At 14 years old, playing in her second ever tournament, she beat Serena Williams, who had just won Wimbledon earlier that month.
Her early success didn't always translate into success in Grand Slam tournaments. In 2017, she reached the final of the U.S. Open, only to lose to Sloane Stephens. It took her seven years to get back to a Grand Slam final — she had reached the French Open and U.S. Open semifinals in 2018, but could not get further than that. Previously, she was among the world's top 50 tennis players, but her ranking fell as she struggled with injuries.
In 2023, Keys made it to the semifinal round of the U.S. Open, another Grand Slam tournament, but could not get past Sabalenka, who placed second in the tournament. Nearly two years later, Keys faced Sabalenka again, but this time, the two were the last players remaining at the Australian Open.
Keys' rematch came down to the final set of the tournament
Keys was having an incredible run in the Australian Open even before she faced Sabalenka in the final match. She was winning against higher ranked players, like Danielle Collins and world No. 2 Iga Świątek, but that didn't guarantee her a win against Sabalenka.
Keys won a bold first set against Sabalenka. Her incredible serves seemed to always reach their target, while Sabalenka's serve, which had been shaky throughout the tournament, could not find its rhythm in the final matchup.
In her second set, Sabalenka's serve became more accurate, and she was able to level the playing field: Both players needed to win the third and final set to take home the title.
The final set of the Australian Open had high stakes for both competitors: Sabalenka was aiming for her third straight win in this tournament, something that hasn't happened in over two decades. Keys, a tennis prodigy, was hoping to finally win a Grand Slam title and cement her place among the greats of women's tennis.
Keys served first in the last set, and Sabalenka matched her game, locking the score at five to five on serve. A women's Grand Slam final hadn't been this close since the 2012 U.S. Open, when Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka.
Keys needed two games to win the the tournament. An extra burst of energy allowed her to get the better of Sabalenka.
"I think we did our best, just Madison was doing incredible and I couldn't do anything in this match," Sabalenka told reporters after the game. "Next time I play Madison I will bring better tennis. Of course, sending love to my team. I love you even though we lost."
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