In the biggest upset of the 2025 Australian Open so far, 19-seed Madison Keys defeated world No. 2 Iga Świątek in a back-and-forth three-set semifinal early Thursday morning.
Entering as the tournament’s only athlete to win every set, five-time Grand Slam champion Świątek conceded more games to Keys than in her previous five Australian Open matches combined.
Keys’s speedy serve and heavy forehand paired with a Świątek double-fault pushed the match to a tie-break decider, with the US star ultimately winning 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8).
“It just became who can get that final point and who can be a little bit better than the other one,” Keys said post-match. “I’m happy it was me.”
Keys’s victory is just the latest chapter in a 2025 Australian Open run that’s seen her beat three Top 10 contenders in Świątek, No. 6 Elena Rybakina, and No. 10 Danielle Collins. Those victories earned the 29-year-old her own Top 10 spot in next Monday’s WTA rankings.
With Thursday’s win, Keys booked her second-ever Grand Slam championship match, returning to the sport’s top stage for the first time since the 2017 US Open.
