Australian Open: Madison Keys – the talented teenager who became Grand Slam champion at the age of 29 tennis news

Madison Keys won her first Grand Slam by ending Aryna Sabalenka’s hopes of a third consecutive Australian Open title.

Madison Keys arrived in Australia under the radar with the modest goal of seeing how well she could perform with her 30th birthday coming up next month.

The resilient American now has an answer after defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in Saturday’s Australian Open final.

It is the first major title for Keys, who reached her second Grand Slam final eight years after her first in New York. She lost to Sloane Stephens on that occasion.

That 6-3, 6-0 defeat has been sobering ever since, but it was also a learning experience.

“I think during that match I was so nervous about the moment and the occasion and all that, that I didn’t really give myself a chance to play,” she said this week.

“I think the biggest thing for me is to know that there will be moments when I will be uncomfortable in the match.

“It’s going to be stressful. Thousands of people are watching you.”

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

He played his first semi-final at Melbourne Park in 2015 as a talented 19-year-old, showcasing his potential.

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

The Belarusian player was attempting to become the first woman to win three consecutive Melbourne crowns since Martina Hingis from 1997–1999.

But 19th seed and underdog Keys put all that aside to win the title 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in a thrilling final.

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

The two players were dating since 2017 and Fratangelo became their coach in 2023.

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

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

“Sharpening an ax can get you far, but sometimes you just need new tools. I think that’s what I’ve tried to bring across.”

Both Sabalenka and Keys have power games that can overwhelm opponents.

After the semifinal loss, Swiatek talked about Keys’ “bravery” in making big shots in big moments.

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

He said of Keys, “But what I see in him now is exactly what great people do.”

“He has the ability to raise the bar when it matters most.”

And that was proven on Saturday when Keys won the biggest title of her 10th career and an early 30th birthday present.

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

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