46 appearances, only one win. American tennis player Madison Keys from Illinois won her first Grand Slam this past January. After a long, hard-fought three-set match against the top-ranked women’s player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, Keys claimed her first-place trophy at the Australian Open. Many people, both from America and all around the world, were moved and excited for her win; everyone could see how deserving Keys was of the title.
In professional tennis, there are four major championships, titled Grand Slams. These tournaments include the Australian Open, French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon. Keys began her journey as a professional tennis player in 2009, at the age of 14. Since 2009, Keys has competed in countless tournaments, including 46 major championships. Keys has made it to the semifinals of major championships seven times, losing five of these matches. In 2017, at her first major finals appearance, Keys fell short of the US Open title to a fellow American player, Sloane Stevens. This was a tough loss for Keys, as she had made it so far, but she continued to fight for her athletic career. It wasn’t until last month that Keys finally earned her first major title at the Australian Open.
On Jan. 24, 2025, Madison Keys took the court at the Australian Open to battle against the number one player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka. As number 19 in the world, Keys had already fought and won difficult matches throughout this tournament, beating higher-ranked competitors such as Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, and Iga Swiatek. Almost all of these matches were exhausting, three-set matches, but Keys had to fight one more time to win the Grand Slam. After winning the first set 6-3, Keys looked pretty solid in the match. Sabalenka, however, came back strong in the second set, beating Keys 6-2. The third set was a tough and close battle, ending when Keys came out on top with a final score of 7-5. This third-set win solidified the match and Keys’ first major title! After 16 years and 46 appearances in major championships, Madison Keys finally gets to call herself a Grand Slam Champion!
By Caroline Brennan ‘26
