Be brave. Go for it. Those were the mantras Madison Keys turned to as she confronted the most significant points of her tennis career, trapped in the cauldron of a third set that was tied at 5-all, 30-all in the Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.
She is the oldest woman to become a first-time Slam champ since Flavia Pennetta was 33 at the 2015 U.S. Open. This was the 46th Slam appearance for Keys.
Keys, ranked 14th and seeded 19th, prevented Sabalenka from earning what would have been her third women's trophy in a row at the Australian Open — something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997-99 — and her fourth major title overall.
Aryna Sabalenka saw her two-year reign at the Australian Open end after losing to Madison Keys in the final – and she didn’t take it well.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Aryna Sabalenka threw her racket on the sideline. She sat on her bench with a towel over her head. She then even briefly walked off the court before the trophy ceremony when her bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship ended with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 loss to Madison Keys in the final Saturday.
When Madison Keys stepped into Rod Laver Arena at 7:37 p.m. on Saturday night ahead of the Australian Open final, she strode right past the Daphne Akhurst
American Madison Keys upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 during the Australian Open final Saturday night.
Madison Keys upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open tennis final on Saturday to win her first Grand Slam title.
Madison Keys of the United States upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday night to collect her first Grand Slam title at age 29.
American Madison Keys upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 during the Australian Open final Saturday night.
The world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion lags behind her contemporaries in endorsements despite standing atop her sport