Australian Open: Madison Keys surprises Sabalenka and finally triumphs in Grand Slam

Madison Keys s'impose pour la première fois en Grand Chelem. XinHua – Ma Ping

L'Américaine s'est imposée à Melbourne en battant la Belarusse en trois sets, samedi 25 janvier. 

She finally got it: at 29, Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, surprising world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and depriving her of a third consecutive title never before seen in the 21st century. On the court of a packed Rod Laver Arena and in turmoil during the third set, the tightest of the game, the American screamed in surprise on match point, raising her arms to the sky before shedding a few tears and falling into the arms of her loved ones.

Defeated 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, Sabalenka congratulated her opponent before smashing her racket in frustration and burying her face in her towel on her bench. Like her compatriot Victoria Azarenka, winner in 2012 and 2013, the Belarusian failed on Saturday to become the sixth woman in history to achieve the three-peat in Melbourne.

The 4th oldest player to win a Grand Slam

Her opponent became the fourth-oldest player in the Open era (which began in 1968) to win her first major title. A great hope for American tennis, winner of her first match on the WTA circuit at just 14 years old, Madison Keys had completely missed her first Grand Slam final, defeated 6-3, 6-0 in the final of the 2017 US Open by her compatriot Sloane Stephens.

In Australia, Keys did not let her second chance pass, beating Sabalenka two days after having already eliminated her runner-up Iga Swiatek after a 2h35 fight won in a super tie-break. “I wanted this title for so long,” said the right-hander from Illinois upon receiving the trophy. After the lost US Open final, “I didn't know if I was going to be in a position again” to win a Grand Slam, she added.

“See you next year”

Having lost four times in her five previous duels with the triple Grand Slam winner (Australian Open 2023 and 2024, US Open 2024), the American was not, however, the favourite. For a while, she even thought she was reliving her painful 2023 US Open semi-final, where she won the first set 6-0 against Sabalenka before losing the next two narrowly in the tie-break. But the outcome was different this time, thanks to a decisive break in the final set.

“Delighted to have finally taken my revenge”, Keys said to Sabalenka who congratulated her on her “deserved” victory. “I hope we see each other again next year”, joked the Belarusian, fixing her gaze on the trophy reserved for the winner.

As in the semi-final against her friend Paula Badosa (12th), Sabalenka took her time to get into the game. But where she had only let two games slip away against the Spaniard before recovering, the eclipse this time was much longer. After starting the match with a double fault, the Belarusian committed three more in the first set alone to offer as many break points to Keys, who quickly converted them and won the opening set 6-3.

A balanced 3rd set

Having gone to the locker room at the end of the first act for a toilet break, Sabalenka returned to the court much more conquering. From the first game, she got herself two break points, which Keys saved. A simple reprieve since two games later, the world No. 1 managed to snatch the break to take control of the set, which she won 6-2.

The third set was the most balanced of the match, each of the two players holding their serve until 6-5 for Keys. The American then managed to get two break points on Sabalenka's serve, converting the second to finally earn her place among the winners of one of the four major tournaments in world tennis.