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Keys’s first grand slam final was a loss to Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open and by repeating the feat in Australia, she has become the player with the most slam appearances between her first and second major finals (25), besting the previous mark of 24 set by Marion Bartoli and Amelie Mauresmo.
The 29-year-old is the oldest women’s singles finalist in Melbourne since the Williams sisters in 2017 and has defeated has defeated two top 10 opponents during her run to today’s final (Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek).
Paula Badosa, Sabalenka’s latest victim in the semi-final, likened playing her close friend to an unbeatable video game. “With Aryna, it’s more like winners everywhere. Sometimes you’re like, I don’t know, I’m just walking around the court because I feel like she’s playing a PlayStation.”
The world No 1 would tie the Open era record of three straight titles held by Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis with a win against Keys.
She opened her season with the title at the Brisbane International and is 11-0 so far this year.
Tumaini Carayol is at Melbourne Park and writes in his preview:
As she returns to Rod Laver Arena to battle the two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Keys will walk on to the court with plenty of reasons to be nervous, with memories of her first grand-slam final experience and a painful three-sets loss to the Belarusian in the semi-finals of the 2023 US Open. But with time, introspection and 16 years of experience behind her, Keys has learned to accept the stress that comes with these lofty occasions.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to game by game coverage of the women’s singles Australian Open final.
Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, has 20 consecutive wins at Melbourne, winning all but two matches in straight sets. She is bidding to become the first woman to three-peat the grand slam title since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999.
Standing in her way is Madison Keys, who is fresh off eliminating Iga Swiatek in the first women’s semi-final to be decided by a 10-point tie-break. The world No 14 will be hoping all her hard work thus far leads to her maiden slam.
Sabalenka and Keys are two of the heaviest hitters in the game and we can expect a fast-paced final with plenty of fast serves and topspin forehands.
Our expected start time in Melbourne is 7.30pm AEDT / 8.30am GMT. Join me.
