Madison Keys walked into the 2025 Australian Open with years of near-misses behind her. She walked out with a Grand Slam trophy in hand.

Following over a decade on the circuit and five earlier visits to grand semifinals, she finally won her first Grand Slam. The victory was in Melbourne, on one of the game’s largest stages, against one of the sport’s most dominant players of the time.

At 29, she was the oldest inaugural Australian Open women’s champion of the Open Era. She was the first American woman other than Serena or Venus to triumph in Melbourne since Jennifer Capriati in 2002. A milestone moment – both for her and for American tennis.

Tournament Progress:

• First Round: Defeated Ann Li 6-4, 7-5.
• Second Round: Overcame Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
• Third Round: Beat 10th seed Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-4.
• Fourth Round: Triumphed over 6th seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
• Quarterfinals: Won against 28th seed Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
• Semifinals: Saved a match point to defeat 2nd seed Iga Świątek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6^(10-8).
• Final: Clinched the title by beating World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

Final Match Statistics:

• First Serve Percentage: 67% (58/87)
• Aces: 6
• Double Faults: 0
• Winners: 29
• Unforced Errors: 31
• Break Points Converted: 4/9 (44%)
• Total Points Won: 92 (compared to Sabalenka’s 91)

Road to the Final

Early Rounds

Keys didn’t just find form – she found rhythm. Her opening rounds set the tone.

She slid past compatriot Ann Li with a neat, unflappable performance that did not include any evidence of first-round nerves. She then beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round, coupling strength with accuracy and sliding effortlessly from point to point. No drama, no wasted energy. Just neat, top-class tennis.

Third Round: Taking Down a Seed

The third set saw the pace change. The crowd was rooting for fan favorite Danielle Collins, the 10th seed. Keys was not intimidated. She was calm, stole rallies early, and absorbed the pressure from crowd and opponent. The win wasn’t so much a matter of tactics—it was psychological.

Fourth Round: Resilience on Display

Past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, the 6th seed, took Keys deeper. It went to three sets, and it was a game of battles. Keys kept her cool in the third set, drawing on reservoirs of energy when Rybakina pushed her into corners. That win was more than a scoreline—it proved she was built for the two-week grind of a grand slam.

Quarterfinals: A Turning Point

Elina Svitolina looked sharp early in their quarterfinal. Keys looked flat – and then flipped the switch.

Down a set, she found her range on the forehand and began dictating with depth and angles. By the time the third set started, momentum had fully swung. Svitolina scrambled. Keys delivered.

Semifinals: The Match That Changed Everything

Iga Świątek stood between Keys and a shot at the title. World No. 2. Four-time Grand Slam champion. On paper, it leaned heavily in Świątek’s favor.

But Keys played the match of her life.

She held match point in the third set on a bold inside-out forehand, broke serve on a return game of aggression that few had been able to produce against Świątek all year, and finished off the final point—an ace down the T—to take herself to her second Grand Slam final and claim what many were calling the match of the tournament.

The Championship Match

Against two-time defending titleist Aryna Sabalenka on Rod Laver Arena, Madison Keys never wavered. She was purposeful as she took to the court and emerged in the final like a seasoned veteran. From the very beginning, her rhythm was set—aggressive on serve, sharp off ground, and indifferent to the stage.

She took the first set 6-3, dominating with clean baseline shots and accurate serves. Sabalenka countered in the second, flipping the script with deeper returns and a more powerful forehand. The rallies became longer, the tension mounted. Sabalenka won the tiebreak and forced the match to a decider.

Then Keys found another gear.

The third set was nerve. Keys held each service game to a finish and broke at 4-3 with a precision backhand return winner that she never gave back. She finished off a forehand down the line on championship point—signature shot, flawless stroke.

Statistical Highlights

Her numbers did the talking. Twenty-nine winners. Six aces. Zero double faults. She was 82% with her first serve and broke four of five times. Sabalenka gave it everything she had, but Keys was locked in from the first ball to the last handshake.

Historical Significance

Breaking Records

Less than a handful of players have defeated the world No. 1 and No. 2 within the same Grand Slam sequence. Keys joined the elite group following consecutive wins over Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka. The last person to accomplish this at the Australian Open? Serena Williams, in 2009.

It wasn’t just about beating top-ranked players—it was about how she did it. Calm under pressure. No panic. Just clean, calculated tennis.

Age Milestone

At 29 years old, she was the oldest woman in Open Era history to win her first Australian Open title. For a player who for so long was considered to have major-winning potential, the timing made the victory all the more poignant. Most had already scripted the story of her career. She rewrote the script.

Prize Money Leader

Her triumph also rocketed her to number one on the WTA’s 2025 list of prize money earned. At over $2 million amassed already at the end of January, she’s now firmly among the leaders of this season—not just in style, but in performances.