Madison Keys is finally a Grand Slam winner.
The 29-year-old stunned two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to earn the Australian Open 2025 women’s singles title, triumphing 6-3 2-6 7-5 under the lights at Rod Laver Arena.
ANALYSIS: How the AO 2025 women’s singles final was won
The American shed tears of happiness as her rival wept tears of heartbreak after the enthralling two-hour and two-minute battle in which Keys struck 29 winners, including an inside-out forehand she’ll never forget, on championship point.
“I’ve wanted this for so long,” said an elated Keys, holding the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. “I made my very first Grand Slam semifinal here in Melbourne, so to now have won my first Grand Slam in the same place means the absolute world to me.”
“I cannot wait for more,” she added, overjoyed to have – in her words – “achieved this dream.”
With victory at Melbourne Park, Keys is the first women’s singles player to defeat the top two seeds at a major since Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros 2009 and the first at the AO since Serena Williams in 2005.
Keys, who turns 30 in a little over three weeks, is the fourth-oldest first-time major champion behind Flavia Pennetta, who was 33 when she earned the 2015 US Open crown, Ann Jones, who was 30 when she won Wimbledon in 1969, and Francesca Schiavone, who was almost 30 when she won Roland Garros in 2010.
The anticipation within Rod Laver Arena was palpable ahead of the clash between the pair, who each brought an 11-match win streak into the contest. The encounter was the first AO women’s singles final since 1998 featuring players that won a lead-up event on Australian soil, following Sabalenka’s win in Brisbane and Keys’ title in Adelaide.
In breezy conditions, Sabalenka served up a pair of double faults before conceding a break in the opening game of what marked the first Grand Slam women’s singles final meeting between a top seed and a 19th seed in the Open era.
READ: In-form Keys opens the door to maiden Grand Slam triumph
A composed Keys, focused on playing first-strike tennis, consolidated the advantage and three games later broke again for a 4-1 lead when a forehand approach from Sabalenka found the net.
The 29-year-old’s powerful ball-striking off both wings enabled her to dictate points both on serve and on return, but where appropriate, she turned to her supreme slice backhand, sending American fans to their feet when she placed a deft drop shot that drew a wry smile from her opponent.
Serving at 1-5, Sabalenka saved set point with a 165 km/h serve out wide. But Keys was unable to serve out the set, handing one break back. At 3-5, the world No.1 faced another set point, which this time Keys converted with a scalding backhand down the line.
The two-time defending champion showed why she’s at the pinnacle of the sport and drew from her own varied toolkit. Sabalenka generated a pair of break point opportunities on Keys' serve in the opening game of the second thanks in part to a well-placed drop shot that garnered applause from Keys herself. But the resolute American saved both, seeing one off with an ace.
At 1-1, Sabalenka manufactured another three break point chances. Though Keys saved two with huge serves, a booming Sabalenka backhand forced an error from the American’s racquet, enabling the top seed to edge ahead.
After consolidating, Sabalenka furthered the momentum shift, striking a ferocious cross-court forehand to break for a 4-1 lead. Keys then created a trio of break point chances, only to be denied by clutch serving and a precisely placed drop shot from Sabalenka.
Serving at 5-2, the 26-year-old had one job - to force a decider, which she did with ease.
Once there, both players raised their level, producing heart-stopping rallies of the highest quality, often redirecting the firepower off each other’s racquets for a winner.
Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Sabalenka survived the scoreboard pressure and let out a scream to celebrate her gutsy hold. Keys, in turn, roared after holding for 6-5, closing out a game in which she fell to a 15-30 deficit.
In that game, Keys played one of the best returning games of her life, converting her second match point with a decisive inside-out forehand winner.
The American credited Sabalenka’s fight.
“Unbelievable tennis, you’re always so tough to play and we always have the craziest matches,” she smiled. "Congratulations to you and your team for another amazing Grand Slam run."
It’s been a long road for the American, who first won a professional match aged 14. Keys achieved Grand Slam glory at her 46th major, outpaced only by Pennetta, who won at her 49th Slam, and Marion Bartoli, who was victorious in her 47th major at Wimbledon 2013.
Keys is the second-oldest player to win her maiden major at the AO in the Open era since a 31-year-old Li Na hoisted the trophy in 2014. Keys also joins 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki in a niche stat – the duo jointly own the record for the most AO appearances needed to capture the women’s singles title, at 11.
Keys, whose only other experience in a major final came at the 2017 US Open, will vault from her current position of world No. 14 to No. 7, equalling a career-high ranking she reached in 2016.
"I have been in one other Grand Slam final and it did not go my way and I didn't didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again and my team believed in me every step of the way," said an emotional Keys. "They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself," she said, drawing tears from her husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.
“You’ve been fighting really hard to get this trophy, you played unbelievable tennis, you crushed this tonight,” a gracious Sabalenka told Keys. “Really well deserved.”
The silver lining for Sabalenka, the first player to reach three consecutive AO women’s singles finals since Serena Williams achieved the feat in 2017, is that she’s retained the world No. 1 ranking.
“I’ll come back stronger and I’ll do my best next year,” said Sabalenka. “Next time I play against Madison, I[‘ll] bring [my] better tennis.”