Madison Keys shocked the tennis world by winning her first Major title at the Australian Open.
Just one month into the 2025 season, we may already have seen the year’s greatest story on the WTA Tour.
Keys beat Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set thriller to win her first Grand Slam title at 29 years of age.
At her 46th Grand Slam tournament, Keys finally got the job done, having experienced heartbreak eight years earlier, in the 2017 US Open final.
Keys had won the Adelaide International just before the Australian Open and currently rides a 12-match winning streak on the WTA Tour.
She certainly wasn’t ‘gifted’ either title, as Keys took down some of the world’s best players over the past few weeks.
Who has Madison Keys beaten during her 12-match winning streak?
After losing in the quarter-finals of the ASB Classic to Clara Tauson, Keys set her sights on winning the Adelaide International.
The American advanced through her first two rounds against players previously ranked inside the world’s top ten, as she qualified for the last eight.
- Adelaide International 1R – Madison Keys beat Beatriz Haddad Maia, 6-2, 6-1
- Adelaide International 2R – Madison Keys beat Jelena Ostapenko, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
It was there where she secured her first top-ten scalp of the year, taking down the Russian number one in straight sets.
Adelaide International QF: Madison Keys beat Daria Kasatkina, 6-1, 6-3
World number nine Daria Kasatkina was no match for Keys in their Adelaide International quarter-final match, as the 29-year-old dominated throughout.
Her serve was as good as ever, hitting 11 aces to Kasatkina’s zero, as she won the match dropping just four games, having not been broken once.
She faced off against another Russian in the semi-finals, who provided a tough test for the big-hitting star, before retiring in the third set.
- Adelaide International SF – Madison Keys beat Liudmila Samsonova, 5-7, 7-5, 3-0 (RET)
With her win over Samsonova, Keys qualified for her third career WTA final in Australia, where she came up against another top-ten star.
Adelaide International F: Madison Keys beat Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Keys took on her fellow American Jessica Pegula in the final, and took the first set comfortably, 6-3.
She then stumbled in the second as the world number seven levelled things up, taking it to a decider.
The 29-year-old was dominant in the third, however, winning 6-1 to take the title, with Pegula suggesting Keys could win the Australian Open, if she played at that level during the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.
With a ninth career WTA title under her belt, Keys switched her focus to the Australian Open, where she won several competitive contests during the early rounds.
- Australian Open 1R – Madison Keys beat Ann Li, 6-4, 7-5
- Australian Open 2R – Madison Keys beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 7-6, 2-6, 7-5
- Australian Open 3R – Madison Keys beat Danielle Collins, 6-4, 6-4
Her clash with Danielle Collins was perhaps the most anticipated, after her antics earlier in the tournament, but Keys made her way through to the fourth round without too much difficulty.
Another top-ten star awaited her, as Keys knew she would have to pull off a big upset to reach the quarter finals.
Australian Open 4R: Madison Keys beat Elena Rybakina, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Keys took on world number seven Elena Rybakina in the fourth round and played her part in another thrilling encounter at Margaret Court Arena.
As she had done twice before in her winning streak, Keys won the first before dropping the second, as the pair headed into a deciding set.
Keys eventually came through a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 winner, securing her spot in the Melbourne quarter-finals.
Things weren’t going to get any easier, as the Ukrainian world number 27 stood across from her in the last eight.
- Australian Open QF – Madison Keys beat Elina Svitolina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
After dropping the first set against Elina Svitolina, Keys battled back in three to set up a blockbuster semi-final clash with a five-time Major champion.
Australian Open SF – Madison Keys beat Iga Swiatek, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6
The odds were stacked against Keys in the semi-finals as she took on world number two Iga Swiatek.
In an exhilarating encounter, Keys saved match points before coming through to secure her second career win over the Pole.
It was the American’s finest performance of the year, as she reached a Grand Slam final for the first time since 2017.
An even tougher challenge awaited her in the final, but she was more than ready for the occasion.
Australian Open F: Madison Keys beat Aryna Sabalenka, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
Having lost to Sloane Stephens in the 2017 US Open final, Keys wasn’t prepared to come up short this time around.
Sabalenka was a tough opponent, but the 29-year-old got off to a blistering start, taking the first 6-3, leaving herself just a set away from Grand Slam glory.
The Belarussian fought back in the second, however, leveling things up, and setting up a one-set decider for the title.
It was Keys’ year in 2025, as she played excellent tennis to secure the win in three sets, and lift her first Major title.
She had won twelve matches, including five against top-ten opposition on the way to two huge trophies.
Keys will aim to continue her 12-match winning streak in Doha, as she heads to the Qatar Open, which begins on February 10.
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