Eight years ago, Madison Keys advanced to the US Open Final hoping to secure the first major victory of her career. But it was not to be, as Keys was bested by fellow American Sloane Stephens.
Since that year, Keys has been close, advancing to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2018, the semifinals at the French Open that same year, the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2022 and the semifinals of the US Open in 2023.
So, Keys, reaching her first major final since 2017 at the Australian Open, seized the moment, even if said moment arrived with world No. 1—and two-time defending Aussie Open champion—Aryna Sabalenka standing in her way.
In a hard-fought, three-set match, Keys outlasted Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win the Australian Open and her first career major. ESPN's broadcast caught Keys's reaction to her incredible win, as she was overcome with emotions.
Keys walked over to her coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo, with whom she embraced in a powerful moment.
Madison Keys walks over to her husband & coach Bjorn Fratangelo after winning her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 25, 2025
They hug each other, in awe of what they’ve done this week
They just got married in November
So much love between these two 🥹
pic.twitter.com/7FyczGgQvL
Overcome with emotions, Keys simply soaked in a moment she later admitted she had wanted for so long.
Pure joy for Madison Keys.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 25, 2025
Crying.
Laughing.
Just taking every single drop of this moment in 🥹 pic.twitter.com/RguY9wQrrJ
"I’ve wanted this for so long," Keys said in an interview after the match. "I’ve been in one other slam final. I didn’t know if I’d be able to get back here. My team believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself."
In addition to winning her first major, Keys will return to her career-best ranking of world No. 7 when the WTA's new rankings come out.
More of the Latest Sports News
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Madison Keys Overcome by Emotions After Winning Australian Open, First Career Major.
