Tearful Madison Keys stuns world no.2 to end Grand Slam semifinal jinx with history making Australian Open win

Madison Keys stunned World No.2 Iga Swiatek to reach the final of the Australian Open for the first time.

A dramatic come-from-behind victory was decided by an historic tiebreak, and extended the American's impressive start to the 2025 season with a landmark success.

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Madison in Melbourne

Madison Keys path to Australian Open final

Round 1 - beat Ann Li 6-4 7-5

Round 2 - beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 7-6 2-6 7-5

Round 3 - beat Danielle Collins (10) 6-4 6-4

Round 4 - beat Elena Rybakina (6) 6-3 1-6 6-3

Quarterfinal - beat Elina Svitolina (28) 3-6 6-3 6-4

Semifinal - beat Iga Swiatek (2) 6-7 6-1 7-6

Coming into this year's tournament, Keys - the 2017 US Open runner-up - had not featured in the final of a Grand Slam since 2017.

The eight-year gap between her first two Grand Slam singles finals is the longest in the Open Era, per Opta.

She had also lost five of her previous six Grand Slam semi-finals, all to players that had been or would go on to be major champions.

Keys fell at the semifinal stage of the Australian Open in 2015 and 2022, and was beaten in the last four of the US Open in 2023.

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Now, the 29-year-old from Illinois has booked her place in the showpiece event at Melbourne Park with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) win over Swiatek.

It was the first ever semifinal at the Australian Open to be decided by a third-set tiebreak.

Keys appeared tearful after her triumph and will now face Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.

If she is to win her first career Grand Slam, the American will have to take down the World No.1, who is almost unstoppable on the hard court.

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Sabalenka booked her place in the final with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain's Paula Badosa, and in doing so became the eighth player in the Open Era to reach three consecutive women’s singles finals at the Australian Open.

The Belarusian star is also just the fifth player in the Open Era to reach five consecutive women’s singles Grand Slam hard court finals, after Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis.

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Sabalenka has now picked up 20 straight victories at the Australian Open, dating back to her dominant performance in 2023 when she dropped only one set en route to her first major.

Last year, she coasted to her second title without dropping a set, securing a 6-3, 6-2 win in the final against Qinwen Zheng.

Only Keys, the No.19 seed, stands in Sabalenka's way of equalling Hingis' three straight titles between 1997 and 1999.

"That match was such a high level and she played so well. I was fighting to stay in it," the emotional American said after her semifinal win set up a showdown with Sabalenka.

"I really kind of ran with it in the second and the third was such a battle. I'm so excited that I get to be here on Saturday."

Keys was also asked how she plans to deal with the World No.1 during her post-match interview.

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Keys, who is the oldest women's singles finalist at the Australian Open since Serena and Venus Williams in 2017, predicted fireworks in Saturday's showdown.

"Some big hitting is going to happen," she said with a smile.

"She's obviously going for her third Aussie Open, and I'm excited to get to play her. I'm really excited for the challenge."