"I'm glad I finally got you back" - Madison Keys revels in revenge 4 years in the making after beating Aryna Sabalenka in Australian Open final

Madison Keys couldn't hide the combination of relief and happiness she felt by getting the better of Aryna Sabalenka after nearly four years to become the 2025 Australian Open women's singles champion. This was Keys' second appearance at a Grand Slam final. She had previously reached the 2017 US Open final, but fell short on that occasion to compatriot Sloane Stephens.

Keys and Sabalenka have now played each other six times, with three of those encounters coming at Majors. The American had only ever beaten the Belarusian once, a hard-fought Round of 16 victory at the Berlin Tennis Open in June 2021. However, on the Grand Slam stage, she lost to Sabalenka first in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships and then in the semis of the US Open the very same year.

During her post-match speech, a jubilant Madison Keys congratulated Aryna Sabalenka and also laid bare her delight at finally overcoming the Belarusian.

"First thing, Aryna, unbelievable playing. I'm glad I finally got you back. But unbelievable tennis, you're always so tough to play," Madison Keys said. (at 0:07)

She also reflected on how the matches tend to be between the pair, who share several similarities in their respective styles of play. Three of their six meetings so have been neck-and-neck three-set affairs, including the 2025 Australian Open final, which Keys won 6-3, 2-6, 5-7.

"We always have the craziest matches so congratulations to you and your team for another amazing Grand Slam run," Keys added.

What makes Keys' Australian Open title triumph even more remarkable is that she won against the two top-ranked women's players to lift the trophy. This feat helped the 29-year-old become the first woman to do so at a Major since a former World No. 2 did it way back in 2009.

Madison Keys becomes first woman since Svetlana Kuznetsova to beat top two players in the world and win a Grand Slam

Svetlana Kuznetsova celebrating her 2009 French Open women's singles title triumph(Source: Getty)

At the 2009 French Open, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova was the No. 7 seed in the women's singles main draw, and went on to win her second Major title with a victory against compatriot Dinara Safina in the final.

At the time, Safina was the World No. 1. Kuznetsova had also ousted then-World No. 2 Serena Williams from the claycourt Grand Slam in the quarterfinals.

Madison Keys did something similar at the 2025 Australian Open, where she was the No. 19 seed. The American triumphed against the top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final, and in the semis, she got the better of World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a thrilling encounter that's widely being regarded as one of the best matches to have been played at this year's edition of the hardcourt Major.