Madison Keys won her maiden Grand Slam title on Saturday, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in a thrilling Australian Open final.
At 29, Keys showcased remarkable grit, proving that persistence pays off after years of close calls.
Madison, who turns 30 on February 17, is from Rock Island, Illinois.
Her dad Rick played Division III basketball; her mum Christine is a lawyer.
The 2nd of 4 sisters, she picked up tennis at age 4 and turned professional at 14.
Keys won her first ITF title in 2010 at age 15 and broke into the WTA top 100 in 2013.
She won her 1st WTA title at Eastbourne in 2014 and reached the Aus Open semifinal in 2015, losing to Serena Williams.
In 2017, she made her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, finishing runner-up to Sloane Stephens.
In 2019, she won the Cincinnati Open, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova for what was then the biggest title of her career.
She also won Adelaide International titles in 2022 and 2025.
Her path to the Aus Open title included a dramatic semifinal win over Iga Swiatek, where she saved a match point to secure her place in the final.
Keys credits her mental transformation to talk therapy, which helps her embrace nervousness and manage negative emotions.
'It was like a light-bulb moment when I realised I could be nervous and still play good tennis.'
With her Australian Open win, Keys is the 2nd oldest woman in the Open Era to win her 1st singles title at the tournament, after Li Na.