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Madison Keys' stunning performance at the 2025 Australian Open has sparked plenty of discussion in the tennis world. Former American player Sam Querry, while speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, predicted that the 28-year-old could attain the prestigious World No. 1 ranking by the end of the year.
Querrey believes that by clinching the Australian Open title, Keys has proven that she possesses all the ingredients necessary to reach the pinnacle of women's tennis.
“She can finish No.1, if she plays like how she’s played the first month,” Querry said.
Keys was handed a difficult draw, and winning her maiden Grand Slam title in the manner that she did has made the whole world sit up and take notice. She defeated some of the top players on the tour in the tournament, including the World No. 2 and World No. 1 in the semifinal and final respectively. Acknowledging that, Querry said:
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"She had like two of the exciting matches of the tournament in the semifinals, the finals. It’s not like she had an easy road to the final, she beat Collins, Rybakina, Svitolina, Swiatek, Sabalenka, these are big-time players. To get through that part of the draw makes it even cooler and more special I think.”
With this victory, Keys has already entered the top 10 of the rankings again. If she maintains this fearless style of play and stays healthy throughout 2025, the dream of becoming World No. 1 might not be too far out of reach.
Madison Keys' Grand Slam performances and her rise in the WTA rankings
The 2025 Australian Open was Madison Keys' second Slam final appearance. The first came in the 2017 US Open, where she lost to her compatriot, Sloane Stephens, in straight sets.
Apart from this, Keys has made several semifinal appearances - the 2015 Australian Open, 2018 French Open, 2018 US Open, 2022 Australian Open, and 2023 US Open.
Speaking of the WTA rankings, Elena Rybakina (4893) has broken into the top 5 again, and Iga Swiatek (8770) has closed the gap with Aryna Sabalenka (8956). Paula Badosa (3608) has also made it to the top 10 with her impressive semifinal appearance.
Madison Keys (4680) has jumped 13 positions from her prior spot and is currently ranked World No. 7. She has a realistic chance of breaking into the top 5 and even the top 3. Coco Gauff, who is the current World No. 3, has 6538 points, and Keys is only 1858 points behind her.
