After defeating Swiatek and Sabalenka: Madison Keys makes history by beating No. 1 and No. 2 on her way to the Australian Open title

Madison Keys secured her maiden Grand Slam title this Saturday at the Australian Open. Not only did she defeat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the tournament final, but she also triumphed over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, a feat no player had achieved in over 15 years.

In an enthralling final, the 29-year-old stunned the two-time defending champion Sabalenka (6-3, 2-6, 7-5), who was on a 20-match winning streak at Melbourne Park. Keys captured her first Grand Slam title at 29 years old, becoming the player with the longest gap between her first and second Grand Slam finals—the previous being the 2017 US Open.

Keys stuns Swiatek and Sabalenka to claim her first Grand Slam title

Keys' journey was remarkable, as she entered several matches as the underdog. In the third round, she faced her compatriot Danielle Collins (No. 11) and won in straight sets. In the Round of 16, she eliminated former finalist and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (No. 6).

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After coming from a set down against Elina Svitolina (No. 28) in the quarterfinals, Keys consecutively defeated Swiatek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 [10-8], and Sabalenka in three sets. Beating both the World No. 1 and No. 2 en route to a Grand Slam title hadn’t been done in over 15 years.

The last player to achieve a similar record was 2009 Roland Garros champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, a Russian player who won 18 career titles, including two Grand Slams, and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2 in September 2007.

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On her way to the French Open title, Kuznetsova defeated then-World No. 2 Serena Williams in the quarterfinals and World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the final. However, Kuznetsova entered that tournament as the 7th seed—a slightly more favourable position than Keys, who was seeded 19th.

With this victory, Keys is set to return to her career-best ranking of World No. 7, extending her career-best 12-match winning streak. Furthermore, she has minimal points to defend in the coming months, at least until the clay swing, putting her in a strong position to climb further in the WTA rankings.

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