Madison Keys draws concerned reaction from Boris Becker after Aryna Sabalenka's shocking Indian Wells revenge

Aryna Sabalenka’s merciless revenge against Madison Keys at Indian Wells drew a concerned reaction from Boris Becker. The German tennis legend expressed his surprise at the lopsided scoreline.

Keys, who won the Adelaide International and dethroned Sabalenka at the Melbourne Major, was on a 16-match winning streak when she faced the World No. 1 in the Indian Wells semifinal on Friday, March 14. Although many expected the matchup to be a thrilling contest, considering their 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 Australian Open scoreline, it was anything but that.

After confirming her clash against Madison Keys at the WTA 1000 event, Aryna Sabalenka had made her intentions clear. She had “revenge” on her mind, with wounds from her Melbourne final loss still fresh. Staying true to her word, Sabalenka staged a ruthless performance at Indian Wells, winning 11 straight games to race to a 6-0, 5-0 lead.

Keys, stunned by the one-sided affair, was desperate to get on the scoreboard. She found her best tennis while serving to stay in the match and avoided a double bagel. Despite her mini recovery, the World No. 1 proved too strong in the next game and clinched the victory 6-0, 6-1 in just 52 minutes.

During the match, Madison Keys spewed 18 unforced errors and 10 winners. Her opponent, meanwhile, limited her unforced error count to 10 while dishing out 14 winners. Aryna Sabalenka excelled in almost every aspect, from the first and second service points won to the percentage of returns won.

Boris Becker was shocked by the scoreline, given Keys’ formidable run of form.

"Someone explain me the scoreline … What happened with Madison ?" Boris Becker asked on X, perplexed.

The six-time Grand Slam champion clarified that he was all for Sabalenka’s dominance but couldn’t wrap his head around her American opponent’s struggles.

"I like Saba lots but just to understand the scoreline better ?"

This was Keys and Sabalenka’s seventh tour-level meeting. With the win, the Belarusian extended her lead to 5-2.

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Aryna Sabalenka on conquering Madison Keys at Indian Wells: "I needed this revenge badly"

Aryna Sabalenka (L) pictured with Madison Keys at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - Image Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka previously revealed that she required an entire week to get over her 2025 Australian Open loss to Madison Keys, where she was aiming for a three-peat. She was thus elated to have avenged the loss at Indian Wells. Addressing her merciless display during her press conference, the World No. 1 said:

"Honestly, I didn't expect this match to be that fast, and of course I'm super happy to be in another final here."

She added:

"I needed this revenge badly, so I was really focused, and I think tactically I played really great tennis."

Following her win against Keys, Sabalenka faces 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in Sunday’s final. The teenager is chasing her second consecutive WTA 1000 title after her glory in Dubai. Meanwhile, the World No. 1 is in pursuit of her eighth.