Madison Keys provided an insight into her mindset on the way to claiming the Australian Open title.
In one of the best matches likely to take place in 2025, Keys produced some scintillating tennis to win her first Grand Slam title.
In what has become one of the toughest things to do in tennis, Keys handed Aryna Sabalenka her first loss in Melbourne since 2022.
The American is a Grand Slam champion at the 46th attempt, the fourth most appearances it has taken a player to achieve this feat.
What was Madison Keys telling herself in the Australian Open final?
Madison Keys knew she had to be at her best and she started emphatically, taking five of the first seven games before winning the set 6-3.
Not going down without a fight, Sabalenka stormed back to set two and they fought to the end in a compelling third and final set.
It was Keys who produced her best at the most crucial moments on a more consistent basis that led to her clinching the only break of serve in set three to win the Australian Open.
The American showed great mental fortitude to outlast Sabalenka in a way which is rarely seen in Grand Slams of late, and she told reporters how she managed to do it.
“Definitely one of the things that I’m most proud of, being able to at the end just kind of — I almost felt like I was trying to beat her to it,” Keys said.
“If I wasn’t going to go for it, I knew she was going to. It really kind of just pushed me to kind of thread the needle a little bit more.
“I just kept telling myself to be brave, go for it, just kind of lay it all out on the line. Kind of at that point, no matter what happens, if I do that, then I can be proud of myself. It just made it a little bit easier.”
Can Madison Keys win more Grand Slams?
Keys is now a Grand Slam champion and the sky is the limit for what more she can achieve at this level.
The American knew what it took to go deep in Grand Slams having made the semi-finals on seven previous occasions before her Australian Open triumph.
Keys’ aggressive power is ideal for the grass courts at Wimbledon where she reached the semi-finals in 2023. Injury prevented her from going beyond the fourth round in 2024.
She has reached the final of the US Open, which she lost to Sloane Stephens in 2017 and lost a tight semi-final to Sabalenka in 2023.
Keys will certainly be a contender again this year and though clay is not her strongest surface, she has the weapons to be a threat on any surface.
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