Jessica Pegula drops 2-word reaction as Madison Keys prepares for Iga Swiatek battle at Australian Open

Jessica Pegula applauded Madison Keys after her victory over Elina Svitolina to reach the Australian Open semifinals, where she will face Iga Swiatek. Pegula advanced to the third round of the Major but was eliminated by Olga Danilovic.

On Wednesday, January 22, Madison Keys and Elina Svitolina faced off for the sixth time in their ATP Tour careers. Keys extended her lead in their head-to-head record to 6-2 after defeating the Ukrainian 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Rod Laver Arena.

Following the match, Jessica Pegula took to Instagram to share a photo on her story showing Keys' on-court interview being broadcast on TV. Alongside the post, she expressed her admiration for the 29-year-old.

“Let's gooooo,” Pegula captioned the post, tagging Madison Keys.

Source - Jessica Pegula Instagram story

This is the third time Madison Keys has reached the Australian Open semifinals. Her first appearance was in 2015, when she lost to Serena Williams, and in 2022, Keys was eliminated by eventual champion, Ashleigh Barty.

During the on-court interview after the match, former World No.4 Jelena Dokic asked Keys about the difference in her playstyle from her last Australian Open semifinal appearance. In response, Keys expressed her pride in returning to the semifinal of the Major after nearly a decade and said:

“I think I play a little bit smarter for sure, probably a little bit less fearless. But to be here 10 years later in the semi-finals again, I’m really proud of myself,” she said (0:40 onwards).

---

Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek battle for their first Australian Open Final

Mutua Madrid Open - Day Ten - Source: Getty

Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek will face off on Thursday, January 23, both vying to reach their first Australian Open final. This is Keys' third semifinal appearance at the tournament, while it marks Swiatek's second.

Keys is in remarkable form, riding a 10-match winning streak after claiming the Adelaide International title earlier this season. She began her Australian Open campaign with a first-round victory over Ann Li, followed by wins against Elena Gabriela Ruse, Danielle Collins, and Elena Rybakina in the subsequent rounds. The American defeated Elina Svitolina to secure her spot in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek started her 2025 season representing Poland at the United Cup, where they finished as runners-up to the United States. Since turning pro, this is the Pole's seventh time participating in the Australian Open.

She began with a first-round victory over Katerina Siniakova, followed by wins against Rebecca Sramkova in the second round, Emma Raducanu in the third, and Eva Lys in the fourth. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Emma Navarro.

This will be the sixth meeting between Swiatek and Keys on the Tour, with the Pole leading their head-to-head record 4-1.