Madison Keys on Saturday finally claimed her long-awaited Grand Slam title, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2025 Australian Open women’s singles title. The 29-year-old American triumphed 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in a thrilling final under the lights of Rod Laver Arena, lasting two hours and two minutes.

With this victory, Keys etched her name in history as the first woman to defeat the world’s top two players at a major since Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2009 French Open, and the first to do so at the Australian Open since Serena Williams in 2005.

At 29, Keys is one of the older first-time major champions. She becomes the fourth-oldest behind Flavia Pennetta, who was 33 when she won the 2015 US Open, Ann Jones, who was 30 when she won Wimbledon in 1969, and Francesca Schiavone, who was 29 when she triumphed at Roland Garros in 2010.

Sabalenka was furious after the loss and smashed her racket. 

Belarussian star #Sabalenka ( who won 20 Australian Open matches in a row ) seen smashing own racket in disgust of her defeat#belarussiangirl #belarusia #sport pic.twitter.com/jqFVXb5z6O

— Ali Shunnaq (@schunnaq) January 25, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka was asked about throwing her racquet after losing the Australian Open final:

“I needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech. I was just trying to let it go & be a good person, be respectful”

pic.twitter.com/BS1ejILnKP

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 25, 2025

Keys enters the history books not just for her victory, but also for her impressive form leading up to the tournament. Her 12-match winning streak, which includes the Adelaide title two weeks earlier, is the longest of her career. Interestingly, this final was the first between players who had both won lead-up tournaments since the Australian Open shifted to its January calendar position in 1987.

Two-time defending champion Sabalenka had come into the final on a 20-match winning streak at Melbourne Park and with an 11-0 unbeaten record in 2025 after lifting the Brisbane trophy three weeks ago. She had been aiming to become the first woman to seal a hat-trick of Australian Open titles since Martina Hingis in 1997-99, and owned a 4-1 head-to-head lead over No.19 seed Keys.

The Australian Open marked Keys’ 46th Grand Slam main-draw appearance. Only two players have taken more appearances before winning their first title — Flavia Pennetta with 49, and Marion Bartoli with 47.

Madison Keys arrived in Australia under the radar and with the modest goal of seeing how well she could perform with her 30th birthday looming next month. The resilient American now has the answer after defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in Saturday’s Australian Open final. It is Keys’s first major title, having reached a second Grand Slam final eight years after her first in New York. She lost on that occasion to Sloane Stephens.

The 6-3, 6-0 loss has rankled ever since, but it was also a learning experience.

“I think during that match I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment and the opportunity and all of that, that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play,” she said this week.

“I think the big thing for me has just been knowing that there are going to be a lot of moments where I’m uncomfortable in the match.

“It’s going to be stressful. You have thousands of people watching you.”

Now ranked 14, Keys will return to the top 10 for the first time since 2019 next week.

She made her first semi-final at Melbourne Park in 2015 as a prodigious 19-year-old to showcase her potential.

A decade on, she defeated world number two Iga Swiatek in the last four this time to set up a showdown with world number one Sabalenka.

The Belarusian had been attempting to become the first woman to win three Melbourne crowns in a row since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999.

But Keys, the 19th seed and underdog, made a nonsense of all that to clinch the title 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an absorbing final.

‘Sharpening the axe’

Keys ended her season early in October last year and married her coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, a month later.

The two players had been dating since 2017 and Fratangelo became her coach in 2023.

Fratangelo told reporters on the eve of the final that he felt Keys’s best was yet to come.

“I think she’s nowhere near her full potential,” said Fratangelo, a fellow American who won the boys’ singles at the 2011 French Open.

“Sharpening the axe can get you so far, but sometimes you just need new tools. I think that’s what I’ve tried to bring to the table.”

Sabalenka and Keys both boast a power game that can overwhelm opponents.

After losing the semi-final, Swiatek talked about Keys’s “bravery” in going for big shots at big moments.

Fratangelo described Sabalenka on the eve of the final as “a little more of the polished version of Madison”.

“But what I’ve seen from her now is just what the greats do,” he said of Keys.

“They have the ability to raise the level when it matters most.”

And so it proved on Saturday as Keys clinched the 10th title of her career, and biggest, for an early 30th birthday present.

Keys did it the hard way, beating former Melbourne finalists Danielle Collins and Elena Rybakina on the way.

She then came from a set down and saved a match point against world number two Swiatek in the semi-finals.

Underdog Madison Keys upset Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her first Grand Slam crown at the age of 29. The American Keys ended world number one Sabalenka’s dream of becoming the first woman for 26 years to win a third successive Melbourne Park singles crown. Keys yelled in delight and wiped away tears on securing the title after withstanding a fierce fightback from the Belarusian two-time defending champion. Sabalenka, the 2023 and 2024 champion, buried her head in a towel after her 20-match win streak at Melbourne Park was ended.

For 19th-seeded Keys it was the culmination of a 15-year journey from teenage prodigy to major winner.

The American had been tipped as a future world number one after winning her maiden WTA Tour match at the age of 14.

She made her first major semi-final at Melbourne Park 10 years ago as a 19-year-old but a decade on she can finally call herself a Grand Slam champion.

Keys becomes the fourth oldest first-time winner of a major since the Open Era began in 1968.

It was Keys who came out of the blocks in controlled fashion in just her second Grand Slam final.

Keys was playing with her left thigh strapped but was not hampered as she played exemplary tennis to put Sabalenka under pressure.

With the help of two Sabalenka double faults, Keys secured an immediate break.

Sabalenka could not make any inroads on Keys, who landed 86 percent of her first serves in the set.

A third double fault helped Keys unlock a further break and race into a 5-1 lead.

Sabalenka saved set point and then clawed back one of the breaks. But her error count was rising and Keys, who smacked 11 winners to four, secured the first set in 35 minutes.

Sabalenka, renowned for her guts and determination, had similarly lost the first set in the 2023 final against Elena Rybakina before going on to win.

Perhaps more significantly, Sabalenka had lost the first set 6-0 to Keys in the 2023 US Open semi-final before fighting back to reach the final.

That result may have been preying on both players’ minds as the Belarusian began to flip the script in the second set, breaking in the third game and moving ahead 3-1.

Another break followed on a brilliant Sabalenka cross-court pass and she levelled the match after an hour and 20 minutes on court.

Sabalenka by now was timing the ball much better and a younger Keys might have buckled.

But this mature version of Keys, who battled all the way to beat Iga Swiatek in a 10-point final set tiebreak in the semi-finals, is made of sterner stuff.

She held from 0-30 in the third game to keep it on serve as the final set became a big-hitting baseline war with no holding back from either player.

It stayed that way until 5-6 when Sabalenka served to take it to a final set tiebreak.

Keys brought up two match points and secured the title on the second with her 29th winner after 2hr 2min.

AO 2025, Women’s Singles Final LIVE, Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys© AFP

Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys Live Streaming Australia Open Women’s Singles Final: The irresistible force of Aryna Sabalenka meets the unbreakable spirit of Madison Keys in an Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday. The defending champion from Belarus dished out a straight set win over good friend Paula Badosa in the semi-finals and will remain world number one after Iga Swiatek’s defeat while Keys is guaranteed to be back in the top 10 for the first time since 2019 in the new rankings. Both players are in rampant form and on 11-match win streaks after winning their respective warm-up events. Sabalenka, on the other hand, has won 20 straight matches on the famous blue hard courts of Melbourne. If she makes it 21 it will see her complete a treble not witnessed this century.

When will the Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match take place?

The Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025.

Where will the Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match be held?

The Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match will be held at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

What time will the Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match start?

The Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match will start at 2:00 PM (IST).

Which TV channels will show the live telecast of the Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match?

The Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match will telecasted live on the Sony Sports network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match?

The Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys, Australian Open women’s singles final match will be live streamed on the SonyLiv and JioTV App and Website.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

The irresistible force of Aryna Sabalenka meets the unbreakable spirit of Madison Keys in an Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday that promises to be a thunderous slugfest. Defending champion Sabalenka was hailed by beaten semi-finalist Paula Badosa as being so good it was “like she’s playing a PlayStation” after dishing out a merciless straight-sets bludgeoning to her good friend. The never-say-die American Keys, who will turn 30 next month, saved eight break points and a match point in a nerve-shredding final set against Iga Swiatek that went all the way to a 10-point tiebreak.

“Definitely some big-hitting. I think that is going to happen,” the powerful 19th seed Keys predicted of the final. “Not a lot of long points.”

Keys and Sabalenka have met five times previously, with the Belarusian winning four of them, most recently on the Beijing hard courts last year.

Keys’s sole win came on grass in Berlin in 2021.

“She’s playing incredible tennis,” said Sabalenka.

“She’s a very aggressive player, serving well, moving well. She’s in a great shape.

“It’s going to be a great battle. We had a lot of great battles in the past.”

Sabalenka will remain world number one after Swiatek’s defeat while Keys is guaranteed to be back in the top 10 for the first time since 2019 in the new rankings.

Both players are in rampant form and on 11-match win streaks after winning their respective warm-up events.

Melbourne queen

Sabalenka, the modern day queen of Melbourne Park, has won 20 straight matches on the famous blue hard courts.

If she makes it 21 it will see her complete a treble not witnessed this century.

The last person to achieve the three-peat in Melbourne was Martina Hingis in 1999 and only four other women have done it — Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

Three in a row is a rare achievement at any Slam and has only been done this century on three occasions.

At Roland Garros Justine Henin completed the treble in 2007 and Iga Swiatek emulated it last year.

Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles but only managed a hat-trick once, at the US Open from 2012-14.

Sabalenka will be in her fifth Slam final, Keys in only her second, having lost the 2017 US Open final 6-3, 6-0 to Sloane Stephens.

“I’ve obviously thought of that match endlessly for the past eight years,” said Keys, who broke down in tears after beating Swiatek in a seesawing contest that lasted 2hr 35min.

“I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play.

“You can also play tennis through that, I think is something that I’ve been working really hard on.

“That’s one of the biggest lessons that I can take from that US Open final.”

Madison Keys fought back from a set down on Thursday to shock Iga Swiatek in a nail-biter and set up an Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The 19th seed battled through a thrilling semi-final on a final-set tiebreak against the world number two 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8) after Sabalenka swept aside Paula Badosa in straight sets. Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek had not dropped her serve since the first round but was broken eight times by Keys, who saved a match point on her way to edging a titanic battle.

It will be the American’s first final in Melbourne, only her second in Slams, and she broke down in tears after finally getting over the line in 2hr 35min.

It was the first time an Australian Open semi-final had been decided by a third-set 10-point tiebreak.

“That match was just such a high level and she played so well,” Keys, 29, said.

“I felt like I was just fighting to stay in it and then obviously really kind of ran with the second and then the third was just a battle. 

“To be able to be standing here and be in the finals is absolutely amazing and I’m so excited that I get to be here on Saturday.”

Keys, the US Open runner-up in 2017, confessed she couldn’t recall much detail about the final set where she saved a match point.

“In the third set, it was just so up and down. I feel like I blacked out at some point,” Keys smiled.

“Just to be able to stay in it and just keep fighting and then a 10-point tiebreaker for a dramatic finish.”

Earlier, Sabalenka put her close friendship with Badosa aside to stay on track for a 26-year first.

The Belarusian world number one romped home 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena against the 11th seed.

Keys predicted a slug-fest between two of the hardest ball-strikers in the women’s game in Saturday’s showpiece.

“Definitely some big hitting. I think that is going to happen,” Keys said.

“Not a lot of long points but she is obviously going for her third Aussie Open and I’m excited to get to play here.”

Keys and Sabalenka have met five times previously, with the powerful Belarusian winning four of them.

Most recently they faced off in Beijing in October in the last 16 with Sabalenka winning 6-4, 6-3. 

‘So proud’

Sabalenka is closing on a third consecutive Melbourne crown — something that hasn’t happened this century. 

The last person to achieve the feat was Martina Hingis in 1999 and only four other women have completed the three-peat — Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

Court was in the stadium watching.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m so proud of myself. I’m proud of my team that we’re able to put ourselves in such a situation,” Sabalenka, also the reigning US Open champion, said.

“It’s a privilege. If I’m able to put my name into history, it will mean a lot. It will mean the world to me.” 

Sabalenka last year described Spain’s Badosa as her “soulmate” and said she was “super happy” that they got to play each other on such a big stage.

“I hope she’s still my friend. I’m sure she’ll hate me for the next hour, day or two, but I’m okay with that, I can handle that,” she said after her semi-final rout.

Despite losing, Badosa’s run to the last four capped a remarkable comeback for the Spaniard after a brutal back injury had her considering quitting tennis a year ago.

Her Melbourne exploits will return her to the top 10 for the first time since October 2022. Keys will also return to the top 10. 

Badosa said Sabalenka was in unstoppable form.

“Sometimes you’re like, I don’t know, I’m just walking around the court because I feel like she’s playing a PlayStation,” she said.

Madison Keys came back from a set down to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open Wednesday, beating Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The American 19th seed moved into the last four at Melbourne Park for the third time, 10 years after her first, where she will meet either Iga Swiatek or Emma Navarro for a place in the final. Keys, who will be 30 next month, leads the WTA Tour with 12 wins this season and is now on a 10-match unbeaten streak after lifting the Adelaide title.

She had to show her resilience to fight back against Svitolina, who held the upper hand in the early stages.

“I felt like I kind of just had to start playing a little bit more aggressive and try to get to the net a little bit quicker,” admitted Keys, who had battled past former Melbourne finalists Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins on her way to the last eight.

“She was, you know, controlling a lot of the points and making me run.

“So I felt like I needed to try to get the advantage a little bit quicker.

“And luckily, I was able to do that,” added Keys, who beat world number six Jessica Pegula in the Adelaide final and will now move back into the top 10 in the rankings.

The first set began in cagey fashion until the eighth game, when Svitolina converted her first break point as Keys went long to take a 5-3 lead.

She created three set points with an ace out wide and then sealed the opener in 33 minutes when Keys netted.

Keys, who was playing defensively in the first set, upped her pace at the start of the second.

The American created three break points in the fourth game but Svitolina negotiated them safely, the third via a lightning reflex volley at the net.

Keys was not to be denied, creating two more openings at 3-2, securing the second with a forehand winner from the baseline and serving out to level the match after 76 minutes.

With only a single dropped serve each, the next break was likely to be the pivotal one.

Keys created two more chances to break at 2-2, jumping all over the second of them with a backhand return winner to move ahead.

The winners kept flowing and she sealed her place in the last four in 1hr 53min.

World number two Coco Gauff was sent crashing out of Wimbledon by American compatriot Emma Navarro on Sunday as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were firmly locked on an All England Club semi-final collision course. Gauff’s 6-4, 6-3 fourth round defeat means that only two of the top 10 women’s seeds are left in the tournament. Elsewhere, unheralded Lulu Sun became the first New Zealand woman to reach the last-eight at Wimbledon, while Madison Keys quit her last-16 clash in floods of tears. Navarro, ranked 19th, reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time with her defeat of US Open champion Gauff.

Gauff, who made the semi-finals at the Australian Open and French Open this year, has still to get past the last 16 at Wimbledon, the tournament, where she made her breakthrough as a 15-year-old in 2019.

Her shock defeat followed the unexpected exit of world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round on Saturday.

“I think I played really aggressively. Coco’s an amazing player and I have a ton of respect for her,” said Navarro.

Only fourth-ranked 2022 champion Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, the world number seven, remain from the top 10 women.

Paolini will be Navarro’s quarter-final opponent.

World number three Alcaraz defeated French 16th seed Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 to make the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the ninth time in just 14 appearances.

However, it was another uncomfortable afternoon for the Spaniard, who had needed five sets to see off Frances Tiafoe in the third round.

His erratic performance on Sunday saw him drop serve five times and commit an uncharacteristic 33 unforced errors.

The 21-year-old, bidding to become just the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back, eased through the first set under the Centre Court roof before crucially saving four break points in the fifth game of the second.

Humbert roared back, breaking the champion three times in the third set as Alcaraz went spectacularly off the boil.

But Humbert handed over a service break in the 11th game of the fourth set and Alcaraz took full advantage to quickly seal the tie.

‘Fight to last ball’

“I will be there, fighting until the last ball,” said Alcaraz, who is chasing a fourth Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz will take on American 12th seed Tommy Paul, who beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

Over on Court One, top seed Sinner moved into the last-eight with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (11/9) win over American 14th seed Ben Shelton.

Sinner, who won his maiden Slam crown at the Australian Open this year, will face Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev for a place in the semi-finals in a rematch of their final in Melbourne.

“It was a tough match, especially the third set. I had to keep saving set points,” said Sinner, a semi-finalist in 2023.

Medvedev, also a semi-finalist last year, progressed when 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov retired in the first set of their last-16 tie with a knee injury.

Sun made history for New Zealand with a three-set victory over Emma Raducanu, shattering home hopes of ending a 47-year wait for a British women’s champion.

The 23-year-old qualifier, ranked at 123, triumphed 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 over the 2021 US Open winner.

Sun hit 52 winners against Raducanu, who took a medical time-out in the third set to treat problems with her ankle and back.

“It was a great match against Emma. I really dug deep to get the win,” said Sun.

Sun will next face Croatia’s Donna Vekic, the world number 37, who clinched a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 win over Spain’s Paula Badosa on the back of 33 winners.

‘It’s sad’

American 12th seed Keys was just one game away from a third quarter-final at the All England Club before she was forced to quit against Paolini.

After dropping the first set, Keys hit back to level the match at 3-6, 7-6 (8/6).

The 2017 US Open runner-up then raced into a 5-2 lead in the decider when she suffered a left leg injury in the eighth game.

At 5-4, she took a medical time-out, returned with her left leg bandaged but with her movement severely restricted, she wept openly on court before quitting at 5-5.

“I’m very sorry for her, it’s sad,” said French Open runner-up Paolini, who had never won a grass-court match until two weeks ago.

US Open 2023 Womens Singles Final Live Updates: Aryna Sabalenka (left) vs Coco Gauff© AFP