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Madison Keys Overcome by Emotions After Winning Australian Open, First Career Major

Keys's win at the 2025 Australian Open is the first major victory of her career.

Tim Capurso

Keys reacts after winning the Australian Open.
Keys reacts after winning the Australian Open. / Screengrab Twitter @TheTennisLetter

Eight years ago, Madison Keys advanced to the US Open Final hoping to secure the first major victory of her career. But it was not to be, as Keys was bested by fellow American Sloane Stephens.

Since that year, Keys has been close, advancing to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2018, the semifinals at the French Open that same year, the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2022 and the semifinals of the US Open in 2023.

So, Keys, reaching her first major final since 2017 at the Australian Open, seized the moment, even if said moment arrived with world No. 1—and two-time defending Aussie Open champion—Aryna Sabalenka standing in her way.

In a hard-fought, three-set match, Keys outlasted Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win the Australian Open and her first career major. ESPN's broadcast caught Keys's reaction to her incredible win, as she was overcome with emotions.

Keys walked over to her coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo, with whom she embraced in a powerful moment.

Overcome with emotions, Keys simply soaked in a moment she later admitted she had wanted for so long.

"I’ve wanted this for so long," Keys said in an interview after the match. "I’ve been in one other slam final. I didn’t know if I’d be able to get back here. My team believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself."

In addition to winning her first major, Keys will return to her career-best ranking of world No. 7 when the WTA's new rankings come out.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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