It was almost as though Madison Keys fulfilled her destiny on Saturday night in Melbourne, as her Australian Open victory over Aryna Sabalenka was met with cheers from around the word. 

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One of the most popular figures in the Hologic WTA Tour locker room, Keys was flooded with congratulatory messages from players she's faced throughout her career -- from Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula to Petra Kvitova and Ana Ivanovic.

Pegula, who was among the attendees at Keys' wedding to former pro and now coach Bjorn Fratangelo in the offseason, also deserves credit for her prognostication of Keys' triumph.

During the television coverage of the final, ESPN broadcaster Rennae Stubbs recalled that the 2024 US Open finalist, who lost to Keys in the final of the Adelaide International to start the year, told her that if Keys played even "half" as well as she did in the third set of their match at the WTA 500 event, that she could win it all in Melbourne.

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"This is true," Pegula confirmed in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I kinda told everyone tbh [to be honest]."

Sloane Stephens, who defeated Keys in a one-sided 2017 US Open women's final, added this message to her friend: "It was never if, just when. You deserve this and beyond."

Retired champions including Tracy Austin, Jennifer Capriati, Billie Jean King and Pam Shriver also hailed Keys' perseverance. 

"Just waking up in Los Angeles where in the last 18 days there has not been much joy and happiness," Shriver wrote on X. "A huge well deserved congratulations to Maddy, Bjorn and her team. 'Good things come to those who wait.'"

"The quality and drama of women’s matches has been top shelf!" Shriver added, with the recently retired Shelby Rogers also hailing the quality of the two weeks of the WTA tournament.

But the impact of Keys' three-set victory wasn't only felt in the locker room.

Rapper Lil Wayne, a famous tennis fan, spoke glowingly about how Keys "earned and deserved" her long-awaited coronation. The 2025 Australian Open was Keys' 46th Grand Slam main draw -- and only Flavia Pennetta and Marion Bartoli played more in the Open Era before winning ne for the first time.

"[Thanks] to both players for their display of skill, resilience and grit," the TK-time Grammy Award-winner wrote. "Simply amazing! Wonderful Aussie Open!"

The stats that matter

  • After saving match point to upset No.2 seed Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, Keys becomes the 16th player in the Open Era to win a Slam after facing match point -- and the first since Swiatek herself at Roland Garros last year.
  • Keys is the fourth player this decade to beat the World No.1 and World No.2 in the same tournament, and first since Elena Rybakina defeated Swiatek and Sabalenka to win Indian Wells 2023. She is the first to do so at a Slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Serena Williams and Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals and final respectively of Roland Garros 2009.
  • Keys is the first player to beat the World No.1 and World No.2 consecutively in the last two rounds of a major since Wimbledon 2005, when Venus Williams defeated Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport back-to-back.
  • This tournament marked Keys' 46th Grand Slam main-draw appearance. Only two players have taken more appearances before winning their first title -- Flavia Pennetta with 49, and Marion Bartoli with 47.
  • Currently ranked No.14, Keys will return to her career high of No.7 in the PIF WTA Rankings on Monday. She last held that position for three weeks in October 2016.
  • Keys has extended her winning streak to 12, the longest of her career, after winning the Adelaide title two weeks ago. Her season record is 14-1, with her only loss coming in the Auckland quarterfinals to eventual champion Clara Tauson.
  • This final was the first between players who had won a lead-up tournament since the Australian Open moved to its January calendar position in 1987. (In 2015, it was contested between Brisbane champion Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, who had won the 2014 WTA Finals Singapore and not played a January lead-up; in 1985, it was contested in November between Martina Navratilova, who had won Sydney the week before, and Chris Evert, who had won Tokyo two weeks before.)
  • Keys is the first player in the Open Era to win the Australian Open title with three-set victories in her final four rounds. She is the fifth to do so in a major following Sue Barker (Roland Garros 1976), Conchita Martínez (Wimbledon 1994), Maria Sharapova (Roland Garros 2014) and Jelena Ostapenko (Roland Garros 2017).
  • Keys is the third player in the Open Era to win five three-set matches en route to a Grand Slam title following Serena Williams (Roland Garros 2015) and Ostapenko. 
  • Keys is the fourth player in the Open Era to defeat four Top 10 seeds en route to a Grand Slam title following Evonne Goolagong Cawley (Wimbledon 1980), Mary Pierce (Australian Open 1995) and Li Na (Roland Garros 2011). This is the first time in Keys' career that she has notched three Top 10 wins at a single tournament.
  • Keys is the second player born in 1995 to win a major, following two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova.