Jessica Pegula endorses swipe at critics of women's tennis after Madison Keys beats Iga Swiatek in 'epic' Australian Open SF

Jessica Pegula has reignited the debate on the validity of criticisms against women's tennis in the wake of an exhilarating 2025 Australian Open semifinal showdown between Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek. Pegula amplified a query that questioned the grounds of such critiques when high-quality matches like Keys' stunning performance are on display.

19th-seed Keys has delivered an exceptional performance at the 2025 Australian Open, advancing to her first final at Melbourne Park. In the semifinals, she achieved a remarkable comeback victory over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, securing a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) win.

Throughout the tournament, Keys defeated notable opponents such as tenth seed Danielle Collins, sixth seed Elena Rybakina, 28th seed Elina Svitolina, and now, the second seed Iga Swiatek. This series of victories has propelled her into the final, marking her first appearance in an Australian Open final and her second Grand Slam final overall, following her runner-up finish at the 2017 US Open.

In the aftermath of this blockbuster match, an X (formerly Twitter) user discussed the quality of a women's tennis match, questioning how critics of women's tennis could ignore such high-quality performances, writing:

"When an epic women's match like that happens, do the people who say women's tennis isn't good just, like... pretend it didn't happen?"

Jessica Pegula reshared the tweet with a speaking head in silhouette emoji, symbolizing her agreement and support for the sentiment.

"🗣️"

Jessica Pegula's Australian Open campaign concluded earlier than anticipated, as she was eliminated in the third round by World No. 55 Olga Danilovic, with a score of 7-6(3), 6-1.

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Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, and the tennis world celebrate Madison Keys' Australian Open SF victory

Madison Keys at the 2025 Australian Open (Image source: Getty)

American tennis stars, including Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula, and several others, rallied behind Madison Keys following her Australian Open semifinal win against Iga Swiatek.

Coco Gauff, who was ousted by Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals, took to Instagram to applaud Keys' victory, writing:

"goo @madisonkeys."

Coco Gauff's Instagram story/@cocogauff

Ben Shelton, who will take on defending champion Jannik Sinner in his maiden Australian Open semifinal, also offered his best wishes to Keys, writing:

"Unreal@madisonkeys.. Finalsssss"

Ben Shelton's Instagram story/@benshelton

Jessica Pegula shared her reaction by posting two emojis.

"🥲🥰"

Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff's former coach, Brad Gilbert, highlighted the thrilling intensity of the match, writing:

"Amazing effort from Madison Ave fighting back late in 3rd set to take out Iga in super breaker, she is the 4th American in the final here in last 6 years Kenin. Brady Collins, lots of great drama in final set and crowd was absolutely rocking."

Madison Keys will take on defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final on January 24, 2025. This will be their sixth clash on the WTA Tour, with the head-to-head record standing in favor of Sabalenka 4-1. They last met in the 2024 China Open Round of 16, where the Belarusian won 6-4, 6-3.