Madison Keys jumps to career-high ranking despite not playing since Australian Open, prompting praise for Chris Evert

Tennis star Madison Keys shocked the world by winning the 2025 Australian Open title, and the American's rise up the WTA rankings continues despite not having played a match since her victory at Melbourne.

The Illinois native defeated two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final, staving off a Sabalenka comeback to prevail in three sets. This was her second appearance in a Grand Slam final, having lost at the 2017 US Open to compatriot Sloane Stephens.

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Keys achieves new career-high ranking despite lack of competitive play

Following her victory at the Happy Slam, Keys returned to her previous career-high ranking of World No.7. However, the 30-year old took some time off after the Happy Slam, opting to skip both WTA 1000 events in Doha and Dubai.

Nonetheless, this did not prevent Keys from climbing even further up the rankings following the WTA 1000 event in Dubai. Due to several upsets in the tournament, Keys found herself climbing even higher still, as she ascended to a new career-high ranking of World No.5.

Former World No.1 Chris Evert was one of many to congratulate the American, taking to social media to express her joy at her compatriot's new achievement.

"Congratulations Maddy, well deserved, keep going!” wrote Evert on Twitter.

Keys now joins compatriots Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the top five, making it the first time in over 20 years that three American women have been ranked inside the top 5 on the WTA rankings table.

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