Keys – Sabalenka Australian Open final

The American tennis player Madison Keys gave the big blow of her career by beating Iga Swiatekcurrent world number 2, in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open, with a score of 5-7, 6-1 and 7-6 (8) to now face Aryna Sabalenka in the fight for the title.

The Pole, who was looking to return to number one in the WTA ranking, gave up a set for the first time in the six matches played in this edition of the tournament, facing a Keys who complicated the match for her from the beginning.

Although the Warsaw native managed to win the first set 7-5, the North American showed her best version in the second set, completely dominating it with precise returns, and then overcame an exciting third set: she saved a match point in the twelfth game and despite being almost always at a disadvantage in the super tiebreak, he achieved the great victory after two and a half hours of play at the Rod Laver Arena.

First final in Australia for Madison Keys

The confrontation represents an important achievement for the American, who reaches the final in Australia after three semifinals at Melbourne Park. Previously, she fell in this instance in 2015 against Serena Williams and in 2022 against Ashleigh Barty.

Now, at 29 years old, he is looking to win his first Grand Slam.

Swiatek, 23, says goodbye to the tournament without the opportunity to add his sixth Major. He had won four Roland Garros (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) and one US Open (2022), but he will have to wait to achieve his first title at the Australian Open and regain the number one ranking.

Keys achieved the second victory in six matches against Swiatek in historyalong with what was achieved in Cincinnati 2022, and now she will face Sabalenka, whom she only beat once in five meetings, in Berlin 2021.

Key Mindset Change

Madison Keys has signed one of the big surprises of this 2025 Australian Open by beating Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.

The American was guaranteed to leave the Top 10 previously, but now, if she wins the title, she can be ranked number 7 in the world.

“I’m very proud of myself for being able to stay there. I’d be lying if I said I never had doubts.. Being so close in the semi-finals with Aryna and losing was heartbreaking. That defeat took a long time to get over, but at the same time, I never stopped telling myself that if I kept working hard, and kept giving it my all, that’s all I could do, the only thing I can control. Good things tend to happen when you have that mindset,” he said.

And he clarified: “There have been times in my career when things were easy. That is the reality of sport, it is very difficult to stay at the top every week. It’s easy to have doubts at times when things aren’t working out. The big focus for me this preseason was to try anything, be open to changes. I’m at a later stage in my career. Whatever the years I have left, why not be open to some changes?”