Madison Keys clinched her maiden Grand Slam title on Saturday (Jan 25) after she defeated defending two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open 2025 final. The 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win for Keys also saw her break Sabalenka’s dominating run of 20 straight wins in all competitions. In doing so Keys becomes the first woman from the United States since Sofia Kenin in 2020 to win the Australian Open. 

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Keys unlocks Sabalenka

In a tightly contested game at the Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka lost the opening set 6-3 where she was broken twice. One of the weak links for the Belarusian was her second serve as she failed to convert it into a winner. There were four double faults from the number one seed before she made a comprehensive comeback. 

The second set was a more straightforward affair as Sabalenka raced into a 5-1 lead and dominated. She went on to win the set 6-2 but surrendered advantage to Keys who served first in the decider.

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The third set was a tight contest where Sabalenka broke her US counterpart before she broke back. The decisive moment in the match came in the 12th game when the match was 6-5 and Sabalenka served to take the match in a tiebreak. However, the game took a turn as the Belarusian lost her serve and opportunity to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at the Australian Open.  

For Keys, it was her second Grand Slam final having lost the 2017 US Open final to Sloane Stephens.

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Wakana Sonobe becomes first Japanese to win Girls Singles title

Wakana Sonobe etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open girls’ singles title. The 17-year-old delivered a commanding performance in the final, dismantling American doubles champion Kristina Penickova 6-0, 6-1 in just 54 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.

Sonobe’s final victory, her fastest singles match of the tournament, capped a remarkable campaign at Melbourne Park. The Japanese star entered the match fresh from a semi-final win over No.1 seed and home favorite Emerson Jones, showcasing nerves of steel and an unrelenting drive.