Madison Keys stands in the way of Aryna Sabalenka becoming only the second evcer three-peat champion at the Australian Open as the duo face off in Saturday’s final.
Belarusian world No1 Sabalenka has not lost a match in Melbourne since 2022 and is chasing her third consecutive title after beating Paulo Badosa in straight sets.
On the other hand, Keys is appearing in just her second major final. The American was a shock winner over second-seed Iga Swiatek in over three sets in a thrilling semi-final.
The 29-year-old is showing some of the best form of her career and says it has come about by taking a leaf out of her opponents’ book and will look to play the three-time Grand Slam winner at her own game on Saturday.
Aryna Sabalenka’s unstoppable journey to the #AO2025 final 🏆🐯 pic.twitter.com/FgE9s7HSup
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2025
“The one thing I really wanted to try to be better at was not playing more passive in big points and really, honestly, just trying to emulate the way she [Sabalenka] trusts her game and the way she goes after it,” Keys said.
“I think if you’re able to do that and you miss and you lose, but it’s on your terms. It’s a little bit easier to swallow than if you’re kind of playing a little bit passive and things don’t go the way that you want them to anyways.
“I think what’s really impressive is her mentality. I think her ability to kind of always go for it, no matter what the score is, is really impressive. She plays such fearless tennis. She has the ability to play so well that way. I think it’s very unique.
“I think a lot of people, no matter what, even if it was a tight point, you kind of expect them to play a little bit more conservative or back down a little bit, and you know she’s not going to do that.
“I think not only is that impressive on her side, but I think it puts a little bit more pressure on her opponents where you know you’re always going to have to try to win the point because she’s never going to just play passive and give you an easy point.”
Nerves got the better of Keys in her only previous Slam final against Sloane Stephens at the US Open in 2017 but she looks a much more assured prescence on the court, as semi-final victim Swiatek attests to.
“She made less mistakes, less mistakes than on those matches I won against her,” Swiatek said. “I also played against her in Cincinnati where she also kind of played perfectly, and I had nothing to say. I know she could do both.
“I didn’t know which one she’s going to be today. I think she was just more solid than when we played these matches that I won.”
Down match point? No worries 👌@bondisands • #BondiSands • #StayCool • #AusOpen • #AO2025 • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/2TYZ04NnvZ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2025
For Keys to fulfil her Grand Slam dream, she must become the first player to deny the world’s top two-ranked women at a major since Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros 2009 and the first at the Australian Open since Serena Williams in 2005.
And with Sabalenka at the top of the game, she remains the overwhelming favourite to defend her crown once again.
Her semi-final opponent Badosa said her close friend’s powerful play left her as merely a spectator at times during her straight-sets defeat.
“With Aryna, it’s more like winners everywhere. Sometimes you’re like, I don’t know, I’m just walking around the court because I feel like she’s playing a PlayStation,” Badosa said.
“Today she was like that. So sometimes I’m like, ‘What’s happening?’ I don’t have time even to think.”
📰 Table Of Contents
Order of Play
Rod Laver Arena
From 7:30pm
(1) A. Sabalenka v (19) M. Keys
How to watch
The Australian Open will be shown in the US on ESPN and the Tennis Channel. Check the listings for start times.
Prediction
Sabalenka vs Keys
Keys has enjoyed a superb tournament in Melbourne and has rightly taken a lot of plaudits, but Sabalenka at the Australian Open is a whole new level of opponent compared to Swiatek with the Belarusian unplayable in this Slam right now.
Sabalenka will face a different proposition to what she has so far but has shown in the past she is well capable of going toe-to-toe with fellow big hitters. That said, if Keys han handle the nerves, then she should make Sabalenka go the distance.
Sabalenka in 3 sets
