American Madison Keys lost 2 times to Australian champion Aryna Sabalenka for her 1st Grand Slam Title

Ahead of 2025 when the Madison Keys enter Rod Laver Arena at 7:37 p.m. local time Australia is open The final, she was placed on a pedestal near the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, past the silver cup going to the women’s champion, and entering the court.

Case did not break the steps. He did not continue to look. This bit of hardware was then moved around for the pre-match coin toss, a coin toss close to where America was standing. Close enough to touch. Close enough to feel real. And there was Aryna SabalenkaThe No. 1 female and two-time defending champion at Melbourne Park didn’t make it easy on this cool, breezy evening.

A full 2 ​​1/2 hours – and a 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over Sabalenka, who is a two-handed hardware, a two-handed rifle, a grand slam champion There were eyelashes for the first time at the age of 29. It was Buttons second chance to play for a major title

“I wanted this for so long,” said Keys, who was born in Illinois and is now based in Florida.

Flavia Pennetta is the oldest woman to win a slam for the first time since she was 33 at the OPEN in 2015. It was the 46th slam appearance without winning a major title, the 46th most before winning a major title, behind only Pennetta’s 49 and Marion Bartoli’s 47 in 2013.

Buttons did not take an easy path either.

That three-set win saved a match point against No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, along the way, making Serena Williams the only player to beat the top two women in the WHT at Melbourne Park in 2005.

“Madison: Wow, a tournament,” Sabalenka joked during the court ceremony, which he also joked about the loss.

“Enjoy the party,” he said. “Really enjoy the fun part.”

The 14th and 19th, the 19th, prevented Sabalenka from winning something that was the third Women’s Trophy at the Australian Open in 1997-99 and something accomplished by Martina Hingis in total.

When he finished, he covered his face with his buttoned hands, then raised his arms. Soon, he hugged Bjorn Fratangelo, his coach since 2023, and other members of his team, before laughing.

Sabalenka later hit her racket, then covered her head with a white towel.

“It just wasn’t my day,” Sabalenka said.

Keys was broken three times in the first set, in part due to Sabalenka’s four double faults and 13 total unforced errors.

Don’t think for a second that this is just an example of Sabalenka’s self-elimination.

Buttons, of course, had a lot to do with the way things were going. Compiled an 11-4 edge of the winners in the opening set, repeatedly managed to hit the big hitter Sabalenka.

For one stretch, it seemed as if the button’s racquet — which earlier this season, in Fratangelo’s call, was mostly to protect his right shoulder and make it easier to control his considerable power — was landing exactly where he wanted it.

Near a corner. In one line. Out of reach of Sabalenka, 26, from Belarus.

Also important to the match were his left-thigh, road switches that covered every part of the court, reaching the ball and sending it back over the net with intent. In one terrific defensive sequence, she drew a forehand lead from Sabalenka, capping a forehand with a break for a 4-1 lead.

Never one to hide her emotions during a match, Sabalenka showed her frustration by hitting a ball after a ball after missing a volley.

Sabalenka made a trip to the locker room before the second set and clearly changed her head, either to clear the speed of the switches slowly, or both. The Keys’ first-serve percentage sank to 86% in the second year and 59% in the second. Sabalenka took her winner to 13 in the second set and began to stack and switch, breaking points.

When she went down the line to force an error with the keys to a break and a 2-1 lead, Sabalenka shook her left fist and gritted her teeth as she went to the side.

The action in the third set was as tight and tense as a break point in the final game of the openers, which took place with the final game.

Here’s how close it was: Buttons won one more point over Sabalenka, 92-91. Both finished with 29 winners.

Buttons had to wait, yes, but the moment it does every year has arrived.