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Madison Keys wrote three short words on the camera lens after her dramatic semi-final victory over Iga Atek at the Australian Open: “Oh my God.”
The American’s shock was clear for all to see, even before he wrote those words into the camera’s face. As she sat down after the match, mopping up With tears welling up in his eyes, it was clear that the size of his success was only beginning to dawn on him.
It was arguably the biggest victory of Keys’ career, marking his second appearance in a Grand Slam final and the Under-Down. To get there, she saved a match point and scored a nerve-wracking super tiebreak winner against a player she had only beaten once before.
Now on an 11-match winning streak, Keys will have a chance to win her first Grand Slam title when she faces Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne on Saturday, starting at 3:30 a.m. ET.
“I’m still trying to come down and figure out where I am.” Dropped just 14 games en route to the semi-finals.
Keys faces a formidable opponent in next week’s final. Sabalenka, who beat Spain’s Paula Badousa in the final four, could become the first woman in 26 years to lift the Australian Open title, extending her status as world No.1.
Only Margaret Court, Evan Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis—the last to achieve the feat in 1999—have ever completed the Australian Open three-peat in the women’s game, and now Sabalenka is poised to join them. is in position.
“For her to be where she is, she’s doing a lot of things right,” said Graf, who completed her triplet in 1990. CNN Sport “I mean, it seems like physically, too, she’s gotten stronger and less injured,” he said earlier this week.
“It’s like putting all the puzzle pieces together, right? It’s like the body and the mind are ready for it. And she feels like she’s doing a great job at it.
The Belarusian has quickly made Melbourne home from home, dropping just one set en route to the final. Best of all, the 26-year-old’s powerful hitting from the baseline is borderline stopping, especially on hard courts.
This weekend could mark Sabalenka’s fourth Grand Slam title overall, adding to her two Australian Open crowns and victory at last year’s US Open. Against 19th-seeded Keys, an opponent she has beaten in four of her last five meetings, she will be a heavy favorite to secure a historic three-peat.
“I’m very proud of myself, I’m proud of my team that we were able to put ourselves in such a situation,” Sabalenka said in his on-court interview Thursday.
“It is an honor. If I put my name down in history, it will mean a lot. It means the world to me… I couldn’t even dream of it, honestly. At first, I was dreaming of winning at least one Grand Slam, now I got this opportunity. This is incredible.
Keys, meanwhile, enters Saturday’s showpiece on a career-best winning streak after winning her ninth WTA title in Adelaide earlier in the week. His only previous appearance in a major final was a straight-sets loss to compatriot Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open, although he said his mentality on court this time around was completely different.
“During that match, I was so consumed with the nervousness and the moment and the opportunity and all of that, I never really gave myself a chance to actually play,” Keys told reporters.
“The biggest thing for me is knowing that there are going to be a lot of moments where I’m nervous in the match,” he added. “It’s stressful, you’ve got thousands of people watching you, maybe you’re not playing your best tennis, but to try to get over it and find a settlement or relief or whatever. Instead, you might as well play tennis through the situation.
To that end, Keys said he has tried to empower himself to play fearless, aggressive tennis, even in the most advanced situations. Coincidentally, this is also something he appreciated in his next opponent’s game.
“What’s really impressive (with Sabalenka) is her mentality and I think her ability to always go for it, regardless of what the score is, is really impressive,” Keys said. Added: “One thing I really wanted to try. Better not play too passively in the big spots and honestly just try to emulate the way she trusts her game. and she follows him.
The last time the two players met in a Grand Slam was in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open. After being at love in the opening set, Keys was break up in the second and third sets but just couldn’t get over the line, eventually going down in the deciding tiebreak. The defeat lives long in his memory.
“Magically,” Sabalenka reflected after the match, “I was able to turn (it) around.” Against a fellow tennis big hitter, he may need to find that magic touch once again in his quest for a third straight Australian Open title.
