Madison’s key to success

Sabalenka dethroned In Australian Open

MANILA, Philippines — Madison Keys arrived in Australia under the radar and with the modest goal of seeing how well she could perform with her 30th birthday looming next month.

The resilient American now has the answer after defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in Saturday’s Australian Open final.

It is Keys’s first major title, having reached a second Grand Slam final eight years after her first in New York. She lost on that occasion to Sloane Stephens.

The 6-3, 6-0 loss has rankled ever since, but it was also a learning experience.

“I think during that match I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment and the opportunity and all of that, that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play,” she said this week.

“I think the big thing for me has just been knowing that there are going to be a lot of moments where I’m uncomfortable in the match.

“It’s going to be stressful. You have thousands of people watching you.”

Now ranked 14, Keys will return to the top 10 for the first time since 2019 next week.

She made her first semifinal at Melbourne Park in 2015 as a prodigious 19-year-old to showcase her potential.

A decade on, she defeated world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the last four this time to set up a showdown with world No. 1 Sabalenka.

The Belarusian had been attempting to become the first woman to win three Melbourne crowns in a row since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999.

But Keys, the 19th seed and underdog, made a nonsense of all that to clinch the title 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an absorbing final.

Keys ended her season early in October last year and married her coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, a month later.

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is wary of “physical beast” Alexander Zverev as the Italian bids to join an elite group with back-to-back Australian Open titles in a final that pits the world’s top two players.

The ice-cool runaway world No. 1 goes into Sunday’s Melbourne Park decider on a 20-match win streak, dropping just two sets in his six matches so far.

Sinner is favorite to secure a third Grand Slam crown and second at the Australian Open.