Ten years after reaching her first major semifinal at the 2015 Australian Open, and eight seasons after making the 2017 US Open final, Madison Keys is a Grand Slam champion.
The 29-year-old American completed a historic, dream run to the 2025 Australian Open crown with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory against two-time defending champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday. Raising her game under extreme pressure with the title on the line, Keys used two winners to dig out of a 15-30 hole at 5-5 in the final set and ripped her 29th winner to clinch the trophy in the ensuing game.
"I have wanted this for so long," Keys said during the trophy ceremony. "I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to get back to this position to try to win a [Grand Slam] trophy again. My team believed in me every step of the way, so thank you so much!"
Keys' team includes her husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo, a former Top 100 player who began working with his partner in 2023 and has quickly distinguished himself as one of the best coaches in the sport.
Seeded 19th at the Australian Open, Keys earned her title by overcoming one of the most challenging draws in Grand Slam history.
She beat five seeded players and three major champs this fortnight, including world No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 1 Sabalenka in consecutive three-setters. In doing so, she became the first woman since Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2005 to beat the WTA's top two players in the last two rounds of a Slam.
Against Swiatek in the semis, Keys saved a match point in the final set and came from behind in a decisive 10-point tiebreak to stun the five-time Slam winner.
She also beat 10th seed Danielle Collins (third round), sixth seed Elena Rybakina (fourth round) and 28th seed Elina Svitolina (quarterfinals), with five of her seven victories—including the last four—coming in three sets. She is the third player in the Open era to win five three-setters en route to a Grand Slam title and the fourth to beat four Top 10 seeds on the way to a major crown.
Throughout her grueling run, Keys showcased improved control, touch and defensive skills while still building her game around the unmatched power she has been known for her entire career. In the final, she brought up two match points with a scrambling effort that was emblematic of her re-tooled game. The changes also include new polyester strings, a lighter Yonex racquet and a simplified service motion that yielded six aces and no double faults in the title round.
In the trophy match, neither player faced a break point in a deciding set of the highest quality—until Keys earned two in the final game that doubled as match points. With the American connecting from the baseline like she did in a dominant opening set, she took the initiative on her second championship point and took the title with an inside-out forehand she will never forget.
In addition to the trophy and the $2.2 million winner's check, Keys will also leave Australia with a WTA ranking of world No. 7, matching the career high she first achieved in 2016. She will be one of four Americans in the Top 10 come Monday, joining No. 3 Coco Gauff, No. 6 Jessica Pegula and No. 9 Emma Navarro.
Keys is one of five Americans to win the Australian Open this century, joining Lindsay Davenport (2000), Jennifer Capriati (2001, '02), Serena Williams (2003, '05, '07, '09, '10, '15, '17) and Sofia Kenin (2020).
Less than a month shy of her 30th birthday on Feb. 17, Keys is the oldest first-time major champion in women's singles since a 33-year-old Flavia Pennetta won the 2015 US Open. The American succeeded in her 46th Grand Slam appearance, the third-most before winning a title in the Open era behind only Pennetta's 49 and Marion Bartoli's 47 before she won Wimbledon in 2013. In those 46 appearances, Keys has reached the semifinals or better seven times along with four additional quarterfinals.
Keys' recent resurgence began earlier this month in Adelaide, where she won her ninth tour-level crown just before the Australian Open. She extended her winning streak to 12 this fortnight and now owns a 14-1 record on the young season—and at long last, a Grand Slam title.
For more from Melbourne, visit the official Australian Open website.
