Madison Keys joins the list: Which female players won a Grand Slam title after saving match points?

Madison Keys’ incredible run to the Australian Open title was full of obstacles, and she was just one point away from losing when Iga Swiatek had a match point on her serve, which the American managed to save to stay alive and claim the victory moments later.

After Swiatek won the first set and Keys took the second, the match went to a tense third set that lasted 80 minutes, longer than the first two sets combined. Swiatek broke to go 6-5 up and served for the match, but she squandered a match point, and Keys took it to a 10-point tiebreak.

At the tiebreak’s defining moment, Swiatek was 7-5 up with a mini-break in her favor and just three points away from victory. However, Keys recovered and won the match 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 [10-8].

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The World No. 14 joins a select list of female players who have won a major title after saving a match point on their way. There are 11 such players in the 21st century, including Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Venus, and Serena Williams.

Just a year ago, Poland’s Swiatek won her 4th French Open title – her third in a row – after almost suffering an early upset, as she was facing a match point against her in the second round against Naomi Osaka. The Polish player recovered to win 7-6, 1-6, 7-5, and from then on, she didn’t drop a set. In fact, she lost only 17 games to the Japanese player, the same number as in her next five matches leading to the title.

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Only one player has saved a match point on multiple occasions in her path to a Grand Slam title in this century: none other than Serena Williams, who has been on the brink several times: twice in Australian Open semifinals, first in 2003 against Kim Clijsters and then in 2005 against Maria Sharapova. A few years later, in Wimbledon 2009, she saved a match point in the semifinals against Elena Dementieva on her way to the title.

At the moment, only two players have saved a match point in the final in this century. First, Jennifer Capriati in the 2002 Australian Open, where she eventually overcame 3-time champion Martina Hingis. Three years later, Venus Williams saved a match point to defeat Lindsay Davenport and claim her third title at the All England Club.

Grand Slam champions who saved match points

2002 Australian Open: Jennifer Capriati defeated Martina Hingis in the Final – 4–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–2.

2003 Australian Open: Serena Williams defeated Kim Clijsters in the Semifinals – 4–6, 6–3, 7–5.

2004 Roland Garros: Anastasia Myskina defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Round of 16 – 1–6, 6–4, 8–6.

2005 Australian Open: Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in the Semifinals – 2–6, 7–5, 8–6.

2005 Roland Garros: Justine Henin defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Round of 16 – 7–6(6), 4–6, 7–5.

2005 Wimbledon: Venus Williams defeated Lindsay Davenport in the Final – 4–6, 7–6(4), 9–7.

2009 Wimbledon: Serena Williams defeated Elena Dementieva in the Semifinals – 6–7(4), 7–5, 8–6.

2014 Australian Open: Li Na defeated Lucie Safarova in the Round of 3 – 1–6, 7–6(2), 6–3.

2016 Australian Open: Angelique Kerber defeated Misaki Doi in the Round 1 – 6–7(4), 7–6(6), 6–3.

2018 Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki defeated Jana Fett in the Round 2 – 3–6, 6–2, 7–5.

2021 Australian Open: Naomi Osaka defeated Garbiñe Muguruza in the Round of 16 – 4–6, 6–4, 7–5.

2021 Roland Garros: Barbora Krejcikova defeated Maria Sakkari in the Semifinals – 7–5, 4–6, 9–7.

2024 Roland Garros: Iga Swiatek defeated Naomi Osaka in the Round 2 – 7–6, 1–6, 7–5.

2025 Australian Open: Madison Keys defeated Iga Swiatek in the Semifinals – 7–5, 6–1, 7–6(8).

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