Aryna Sabalenka responds to ‘redemption’ question after beating Madison Keys in Brisbane

Oli Dickson Jefford 09 Jan 2026 6:30 PM

Aryna Sabalenka during a match (Wuhan Open/CVG)

Aryna Sabalenka revealed she did not have any “throwback” to her Australian Open final loss to Madison Keys after beating the American at the Brisbane International.

World No 1 and defending Brisbane champion Sabalenka was in impressive form to dispatch world No 7 Keys at the WTA 500 event, defeating the fifth seed 6-3, 6-3 to book a semi-final showdown versus 11th seed Karolina Muchova.

It was the first time that Sabalenka had faced Keys on Australian soil since last year’s Australian Open final, memorably won by the American.

Sabalenka had won two straight Australian Open titles and was riding a 20-match win streak heading into the match against Keys, though she was stunned 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 by the American inside Rod Laver Arena.

The Belarusian thrashed Keys in the semi-final of Indian Wells less than two months after that match, though, for some, this latest match brought back more memories of last year’s dramatic showdown in Melbourne.

However, when a reporter posed that the match had provided some “redemption” for the world No 1 in her post-match press conference, Sabalenka implied that was not the case.

She replied: “Honestly, not really.

“I was just trying to play my best tennis, just trying to play point by point, and when I won the match, of course I was super happy, but I didn’t really have the throwback into the Australian Open last year, to be honest. I don’t know why.”

Pressed further later on in her press conference whether any memories of last year’s Australian Open final defeat had come into her mind before or during the match, Sabalenka revealed that she had not dwelled on it in the slightest.

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“I mean, of course you’re aware of the level of your opponent, but I never stay in the past,” said the world No 1.

“I know that I lost in Australia against her, and that’s the big motivation of course to go out and to get the win.

“But I never, like, stay in the past, and never remember things from the previous meeting. I’m always looking to the match is a new match against a new player. That’s my approach.

“I know I have to be focused from the beginning to the end with her, because she’s [an] incredible fighter and she can come back any time. My approach is like it’s a new match, doesn’t matter what happened in the past, I have to go out there and play my best tennis.”

Sabalenka will return to court on Saturday to face world No 20 Muchova, a player who has caused her huge issues in the past.

Czech ace Muchova has won three of her four encounters against four-time Grand Slam singles champion Sabalenka, whose sole win over the 11th seed came at the 2019 WTA Elite Trophy.

Muchova has won their three meetings since then, with the 21-year-old triumphant at the 2023 French Open, 2023 Cincinnati Open, and 2024 China Open against the Belarusian.

The winner of that will go on to face either fourth seed Jessica Pegula or Marta Kostyuk in the final.

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