Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will battle American 19th seed Madison Keys in the Australian Open final on Saturday looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis from 1997-99 to win the title three times in a row.
Sabalenka will be the overwhelming favourite to defeat Keys and complete a “three-peat” after prevailing in four of their five previous meetings, with the Belarusian slowly and steadily finding her best form in the major that has defined her career.
Indeed, her semi-final opponent Paula Badosa said after defeat: “Everything she was doing today, touching today, could become gold. If she plays like this, I mean we can already give her the trophy.
“With Aryna, it’s like winners everywhere. Sometimes you’re just walking around the court because I feel like she’s playing a PlayStation.”
Sabalenka is looking to become the first female player since 1999 to win three Australian Open titles in succession
Victory on Saturday would see Sabalenka become the sixth woman to win three straight Australian Open titles, joining Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis.
“It’s crazy that I’m in a situation where I have a chance to put my name next to legends,” said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her fourth Grand Slam title after winning the 2024 US Open.
“I couldn’t dream about that. It’s going to mean a lot.”
The first world No 1 to reach the final at Melbourne Park since local favourite Ash Barty in 2022, Sabalenka can expect huge support as she goes for her 21st straight win on Rod Laver Arena.
The 26-year-old admits the support she gets in Melbourne makes this Grand Slam almost her ‘home’ one
“I just feel at home,” Sabalenka added.
“Last year I thought: ‘Okay, I feel at home, I feel so good here, I feel all the support.’ This year I feel it even more. It feels like coming home to my home Slam.”
American Keys ready to spring one more Aussie Open surprise
Despite an impressive start to 2025, few would have expected Keys to get this far. The 29-year-old is a worthy finalist, though, having beaten world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the last four.
Swiatek was the third top-10 seed to lose to Keys after the American defeated sixth seed Elena Rybakina in the last 16 and 10th seed Danielle Collins in the third round.
Keys was superb in knocking out third seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals – the third top 10 seed she has beaten in Melbourne
Keys lost to compatriot Sloane Stephens in her only previous trip to a Grand Slam final at the 2017 US Open, and the Adelaide champion knows she will have to raise her game to a different level to stand a chance against Sabalenka.
“What’s really impressive is her [Sabalenka] mentality,” Keys said.
“Her ability to always go for it, no matter what the score is, is really impressive. She plays such fearless tennis and has the ability to play so well that way. It’s very unique.”
Keys showed just how dangerous she can be when she blanked Sabalenka in the opening set 6-0 of their US Open semi-final two years ago, before eventually losing the next two in tiebreaks.
Playing at her 46th Grand Slam tournament, she will bid to become the fifth US female player to win an Australian Open title after Lindsay Davenport (2000), Jennifer Capriati (2001, 2002), Serena Williams (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017) and Sofia Kenin (2020).
“She’s playing incredible tennis as well,” Sabalenka said of fellow big-hitter Keys, who is on an 11-match winning streak this season.
Keys is bidding to become just the fifth American woman in history to win the Australian Open
“She’s a very aggressive player, serving well, moving well. I saw her matches here. She’s in a great shape. It’s going to be a great battle.”
Keys admits that semi-final defeat to Sabalenka in New York two years ago taught her how to take her chances and not have regrets.
“I’ve been doing a lot of personal work with all of that. One of the big things, after I lost to Aryna at the US Open, I felt like I tried to play safe and I wasn’t playing how I wanted to in the big moments. That felt so bad,” Keys said.
“I felt like if I can go out and do what I want to do and really just be uncomfortable at times and go for it and play the way I play my best tennis, and I lose, then I can walk away and say: ‘Okay, I did my best, she beat me, that’s fine.’
Keys says her agonising US Open semi-final defeat to Sabalenka at the US Open in 2023 made her adapt her way of playing
“I didn’t want to be in the same situation where I looked back and thought ‘Man, I should have gone for it.’ I didn’t want to have any regrets for not really laying it all out there.”
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