Madison Keys wins Australian Open final; Aryna Sabalenka throws racket

Vegas Tennis Team
4 Min Read

MELBOURNE, Australia — In a dramatic turn of events, Aryna Sabalenka tossed her racket aside in frustration. With a towel draped over her head, she sat on the bench, visibly shaken. Before the trophy ceremony commenced, she even took a brief walk off the court, unable to hide her disappointment after a gripping final that saw her fall to Madison Keys with scores of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, marking the end of her quest for a third consecutive Australian Open title.

“There was definitely some frustration. I was on the brink of achieving something extraordinary. It felt like a fierce battle, but nothing seemed to align with my hopes,” reflected the world’s No. 1 ranked player, Sabalenka.

“I needed to shake off those negative feelings to deliver a proper speech and not come across as disrespectful. Letting go of that was crucial for me; I wanted to remain gracious,” Sabalenka explained.

Having secured 20 consecutive victories at Melbourne Park, just one win away from making history as the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to achieve a three-peat at the Australian Open, Sabalenka’s loss weighed heavily.

“I know that after every tough loss, good wins are on the horizon,” she assured. “I’ll keep pushing myself to ensure that next time, I perform even better when it counts.”

And it certainly was a nail-biter.

In fact, Keys edged out Sabalenka with a slender margin, winning just one more point throughout the match — 92 to 91.

The two players mirrored each other in excellence, each delivering 29 winners.

The tension was palpable in the third set, as neither player faced a break point until the later stages of the final game.

“She came out super aggressive; it felt like everything was falling into place for her,” Sabalenka commented on Keys’s strong start. “I was just trying to return.”

Sabalenka entered this pivotal match with an impressive 11-0 winning record for 2025 and a favorable head-to-head record (4-1) against Keys, a seasoned 29-year-old American who was the 19th seed in the tournament. Their last encounter had seen Sabalenka triumph in the U.S. Open semifinals two years ago.

“Aryna, you played unbelievably well. I’m just thrilled to finally get a win against you. You’re always incredibly tough to face. We seem to have the wildest matches! Congratulations to you and your team on yet another remarkable Grand Slam journey,” said Keys in a display of sportsmanship.

Despite her valiant efforts, Sabalenka, who was the runner-up to Coco Gauff in New York in 2023 and captured the same title the following September, fell short of securing what would have been her fourth Grand Slam trophy.

During the awards speech, she lightened the mood as she playfully addressed her team.

“As always, guys, this one’s on you! I don’t want to see any of you for a week; I’m really upset!” Sabalenka joked, breaking into laughter. “But truly, thank you for everything. I appreciate all that you do for me!”

Share This Article
Leave a comment