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.
One last challenge awaits Keys
To claim her career's first Grand Slam trophy, however, Keys will have to defeat reigning champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who comfortably downed Spain's No. 11 Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday in pursuit of a third-straight Australian Open title.
In their five previous meetings, Keys has only beaten Sabalenka once, topping her in Berlin in 2021.
Sabalenka won their most recent bout in the 2023 US Open semifinals. However, that three-set slog was similar to Keys's gritty victory over Świątek and, if she can maintain the composure and energy she displayed on Thursday, the US star's momentum could fuel her to similarly stun Sabalenka.
How to watch the 2025 Australian Open final
Saturday's Australian Open final between Keys and Sabalenka will take the court at 3:30 AM ET, with live coverage on ESPN.
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa will not play in the French Open after suffering a stress fracture in her spine at the Italian Open.
She’ll be sidelined for an undisclosed amount of time, she revealed Thursday morning on social media.
“Just when everything seemed to be fine again, I received bad news just before starting a Grand Slam,” Badosa wrote on Twitter and Instagram. “At the tournament in Rome I suffered a stress fracture in my spine. It has been very hard news after such a difficult start of the season with injuries.
“This is going to keep me out of the competition for some weeks. Thanks to all of you who were with me no matter what. I’ll keep you posted.”
💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/LPHgjtcSYv
— Paula Badosa (@paulabadosa) May 25, 2023
Badosa had been having a good run on clay in recent weeks, making the quarterfinals or better at three of her four events – including in Charleston, Stuttgart and Rome. Currently ranked No. 29 in the world, she had taken down a top-10 opponent in each of her last three events.
“It’s been several weeks now that I think it has been going from less to more, it’s being positive, I’m feeling good, I’m winning good matches,” she told Eurosport while in Rome. “Obviously, I’d like to reach the final rounds but this is a process and I think I’m on the right path.”
The main draw at the French Open is set to begin Saturday.
World No. 7 Paula Badosa and US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez will meet in the round of 16 at Indian Wells after each won their fourth round matches on Monday.
It will be the sixth meeting between the two opponents, with Badosa holding a 3-2 lead over the world No. 32.
Badosa continued her title defense at Indian Wells, taking down Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-6(4), 6-1 in an 82-minute win. She is seeking to become the first woman to defend the title at the BNP Paribas Open in more than 30 years. Martina Navratilova was the last to do so, winning titles in 1990 and 1991.
The first set featured six consecutive breaks of serve before Badosa snapped it to hold to 4-3. Sorribes Tormo responded, saving five break points during four of the five remaining games in the opening set. Badosa then sealed the set with a heavy forehand blast that went uncontrolled by Sorribes Tormo.
Badosa is locked in 🔒
— wta (@WTA) March 15, 2022
Defending champ 🇪🇸 @paulabadosa books her spot in the fourth round with a 7-6(4), 6-1 win over Sorribes Tormo!#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/94LALyJKNm
“I think today she played very, very good in the first set. She was a very tough opponent,” Badosa said after the match. “I was expecting that. She’s a fighter. Last year was amazing for her. The bad part is that we know each other very well. Before I was hitting she already was in the spot.”
Fernandez will face Badosa after avenging a loss from last October at Indian Wells and defeating Shelby Rogers in three sets, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
The No. 18 seed dominated on her service games, facing no break points in the first set and winning 87.5 percent of her first-serve points. Rogers claimed the second set after taking a 3-0 lead. She was unable to stop Fernandez, who took a 3-0 lead in the final set and never looked back.
“Leylah, I mean, she’s coming from winning a tournament. She’s with lots of confidence. She’s an amazing player,” Badosa said of Fernandez. “I was going to say she’s the future because she is very young, but I think she is in the present already. I expect a very tough match.”