Former world No 1 finds a word to describe new Australian Open champion Madison Keys

Aryna Sabalenka entered the 2025 Australian Open final as the clear favourite, having won the previous two editions and looking in imperious form.
However, on the day, it was Madison Keys who lifted the trophy – winning 7-5 in the third set against the Belarusian.
Along the way, the American had beaten the likes of Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, and Iga Swiatek to claim her maiden Grand Slam title.
After the match, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, and Tim Henman spoke on Eurosport to discuss their takeaways from the showpiece match.
The former world No 1 American was highly impressed with Keys, as he declared her performance to lift the title in Melbourne was ‘irresistible’.
“Just to think about her last two matches, the win over Swiatek in the final set breaker, this one. There were moments here at the end of the match where she stepped up and dominated, and those are moments that have escaped her in her past life as a tennis player,” said Courier – remarking on Keys’ ability to go big in tight moments.
“But this is her new life, a new start for her, and my goodness was she dominant when she needed to be, with the big shots and she took her chances. She believed that this time would be different, and it is. She is now and forever a champion.
“The story of Madison overcoming everything and joining that club, it was too irresistible to not pull for her.
“We were screaming and shouting in the last couple of shots in her last service game, the forehand winners were just insane. We were living and dying with her which is obviously not impartial, that’s not journalism. But hey, we’re retired tennis players, we’re not journalists, who are we kidding!
“It was a lot of fun to watch the end of this match. This match was absolutely won in the most dramatic and emphatic way by Madison Keys.
“And Sabalenka played amazing tennis, she has nothing to hang her head over.”
In 2024, Keys had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to being plagued with a shoulder injury.
Just seven months later, she tore a hamstring at Wimbledon and barely played half of the season.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander shared a similar sentiment to Courier, as he saluted the journey Keys have been on to win her first major title.
“It’s unbelievably cool to see somebody at that age and the journey that she’s been through,” said Wilander.
“People have always talked about her as being the next Serena Williams and she hasn’t quite done it all the way. Incredible speech.
“And she won this match – it wasn’t that Sabalenka lost it. In the beginning, Keys was playing unbelievably well and then Sabalenka came back, and then Keys won it in the end.
“I think there will be so many people who will be so proud of Madison’s journey. She’s had a lot of injuries in her career, and just that pressure of being the one that’s supposed to win. I can’t imagine what that feels like, especially from America.”
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Keys is the eighth American woman to win a Grand Slam this century – having followed in the footsteps of Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin, and Coco Gauff.
Former world No 4 and six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Tim Henman also acknowledged the horrid luck of Keys over the last two years.
“You talk about that longer-term journey, of being in a Grand Slam final eight years ago,” stated Henman. “The last 18 months have been so difficult with injuries.
“And then you reflect over the last few weeks, she won in Adelaide and comes in here and has had to win five three-set matches.
“She has to play the number two in the world, save a match point in the semi-finals. Then she’s had to play the number one in the world, the defending champion.
“The way she played in that third set to keep holding serve, the first 11 games, no break point opportunities. And then to break and take the title is amazing to see.”
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