How Madison Keys plans to beat 'fearless' defending champion Aryna Sabalenka at her own game in Australian Open final
Updated 23/01/2025 at 17:46 GMT
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The 2025 Australian Open women's final will see defending champion Aryna Sabalenka take on 19th seed Madison Keys. Ahead of the match, Keys has spoken about how she tries to emulate Sabalenka's "fearless" approach and has praised her mentality. Sabalenka says it would be a "dream" to become the sixth woman to win the Australian Open title for a third time in a row.
Keys beats Swiatek in thriller to reach final after saving match point - highlights
Video credit: TNT Sports
It has come down to this: Aryna Sabalenka v Madison Keys.
Will it be a three-peat champion or first-time Grand Slam winner? Top seed or 19th seed? Favourite or underdog?
The Australian Open women’s final will see Keys looking to upset the odds and stop Sabalenka from winning for a third year in a row in Melbourne.
Keys will be playing in her second major final having saved a match point to beat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final.
The American, who was beaten in straight sets in her first Grand Slam final at the 2017 US Open, says Sabalenka's "fearless tennis" is an approach she has tried to emulate.
"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 trusts her game and the way she goes after it," Keys said.
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"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."
| SABALENKA V KEYS - HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| Beijing 2024 (hard): Sabalenka d Keys 6-4 6-3 |
| US Open 2023 (hard): Sabalenka d Keys 0-6 7-6(1) 7-6(5) |
| Wimbledon 2023 (grass): Sabalenka d Keys 6-2 6-4 |
| Berlin 2021 (grass): Keys d Sabalenka 6-4 1-6 7-5 |
| Cincinnati 2018 (hard): Sabalenka d Keys 6-3 6-4 |
Keys herself played on the front foot to prevail in her semi-final, with Swiatek saying she "totally deserved" to win after being "brave with her decisions".
Sabalenka leads the career head-to-head 4-1 against Keys, winning all four of their hard-court matches and both Grand Slam meetings.
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'I haven't come back down to earth' admits Keys after stunning semi-final win over Swiatek
Video credit: TNT Sports
Keys, though, pushed Sabalenka close when they last met at a Grand Slam in the 2023 US Open semi-finals, losing 6-0 6-7(1) 6-7(5), and hopes to have less "regrets" this time around.
"I think one of the big things, after I lost to Aryna at the US Open, I felt like I tried to play safe, and I wasn't playing how I wanted to in the big moments. That felt so bad.
"I just felt like if I can go out and do what I want to do and really just, again, be uncomfortable at times and just actually go for it and continue to play the way I play my best tennis, and I lose, then I can walk away and say, ‘OK, I did my best, she beat me, that's fine’.
"I didn't want to be in the same situation where I kind of looked back at it and thought, ‘man, I should have gone for it’. I didn't want to have any regrets for not really laying it all out there."
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Sabalenka has opportunity to 'achieve something crazy' in Australian Open final
Video credit: TNT Sports
Recalling their US Open meeting after her semi-final over Paula Badosa, Sabalenka said: "I was under so much pressure.
"It felt like she was just going for her shots, and everything was going in. She was just crushing it.
"I think at some moments she was just, like, start questioning herself. I saw that and I felt like, 'OK, now is the moment to make sure that you put as many balls back as you can'. I think that was the crucial moment. I just turned around things.
"But yeah, she played incredible, aggressive tennis in that semi. Also US Open court, a little bit faster than here. So I think the conditions suit her really well there."
Sabalenka has said it will "mean the world" if she can write her name into Australian Open folklore.
She is aiming to become the sixth woman to win the Australian Open title for a third time in a row, following some greats of the game: Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis.
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'She's done it!' - Keys reaches final with 'fabulous' performance to stun Swiatek
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Just saying [those previous champions’ names] gives me goosebumps," said the top seed.
"I’m so proud of myself that I was able to put myself in such a situation; it’s a privilege.
"If I am able to put my name in history, it’s going to mean a lot, the world for me. It’s been a dream; I couldn’t even dream about that.
"At first I was dreaming of winning at least one Grand Slam, but now I have this opportunity. It’s incredible. I’m going to go out and leave everything I have in the final."
The women’s final is on Saturday, January 25 – live on Eurosport and discovery+.
Keys 'will have to do a lot' in final
Keys starts out as the underdog as she bids to stop Sabalenka sealing a three-peat at the Australian Open.
The world No. 1 has only dropped one set at the tournament and impressed in dispatching Badosa in the last four.
"She played so good today," said Eurosport expert Justine Henin about Sabalenka.
"The way she hits the backhand cross court, the way she puts pressure physically, the way she can handle the tough matches. It is fantastic to see her play like this.
"Madison Keys is going to face the biggest challenge she can face at the Australian Open. She will be prepared but she will have to do a lot."
Stream the 2025 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+
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