At it happened: Keys wins women’s title after three-set classic, ‘lots of therapy’ pays off

Australian Open champion Madison Keys has revealed the disappointment of not winning a grand slam title led her to seek therapy.

Keys, who was promoted as a future champion from her early teens, admitted she spent years dealing with the emotional burden of not having lived up to those expectations saw her seek out “non-sports therapy”.

Victory was sweet for Madison Keys.Credit: Getty Images

She wasn’t doing therapy for her tennis but for herself as she was feeling so bad about not having won a grand slam or have the career expected of her as a junior.

“I got to the point where I thought that I don’t care if this helps me [with tennis], I just want to feel better,” Keys said.

Keys said she had “lots of therapy” and that led to the form that drove her this summer where she won the Adelaide International leading into the Open and then beat both the world No.1 and No.2 to take her maiden grand slam title.

“I’m mostly just really proud of myself to get back to this position and be able to play the way that I played and finish on such a strong note,” Keys said.

“I’m just really proud of myself.

“I didn’t always believe that I could get back to this point. But to be able to do it and win, it means the world to me.”

She explained how she was at a tender age when it was first suggested to her that she could be a slam champion.

“It definitely started pretty young. Probably 11, 12, something like that. It obviously was meant to be confidence-building and all of that,” Keys said.

“I think as I got older and I had gotten close and it didn’t happen, and then it’s you’re getting older, you’re obviously in the later stages of your career, it kind of feels like, ‘will this ever actually happen? If it doesn’t happen, I didn’t live up to what everyone told me I should have done’.

“I think it kind of almost felt like it went from being something positive to something that was almost, like, a little bit of a panic of, ‘why hasn’t it happened yet? Why haven’t I been able to do it?’

“It really started to kind of weigh on me more where it was, ‘what if I never do it? If I don’t do it, am I considered a failure?’

“There was a lot of stuff that I had to, like, work through personally just with all of that just because of all of the pressure I was putting on myself with that.”

Thanks so much for joining us once more as we saw a classic women’s final ended with Madison Keys winning her maiden grand slam title.

We will be back tomorrow afternoon for our men’s final live blog.

Madison Keys and her husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.Credit: Eddie Jim

Please join us then and check back in with our webpages for more Australian Open content tonight and tomorrow.

Bye for now.

Australian Open champion Madison Keys has revealed the disappointment of not winning a grand slam title led her to seek therapy.

Keys, who was promoted as a future champion from her early teens, admitted she spent years dealing with the emotional burden of not having lived up to those expectations saw her seek out “non-sports therapy”.

Victory was sweet for Madison Keys.Credit: Getty Images

She wasn’t doing therapy for her tennis but for herself as she was feeling so bad about not having won a grand slam or have the career expected of her as a junior.

“I got to the point where I thought that I don’t care if this helps me [with tennis], I just want to feel better,” Keys said.

Keys said she had “lots of therapy” and that led to the form that drove her this summer where she won the Adelaide International leading into the Open and then beat both the world No.1 and No.2 to take her maiden grand slam title.

“I’m mostly just really proud of myself to get back to this position and be able to play the way that I played and finish on such a strong note,” Keys said.

“I’m just really proud of myself.

“I didn’t always believe that I could get back to this point. But to be able to do it and win, it means the world to me.”

She explained how she was at a tender age when it was first suggested to her that she could be a slam champion.

“It definitely started pretty young. Probably 11, 12, something like that. It obviously was meant to be confidence-building and all of that,” Keys said.

“I think as I got older and I had gotten close and it didn’t happen, and then it’s you’re getting older, you’re obviously in the later stages of your career, it kind of feels like, ‘will this ever actually happen? If it doesn’t happen, I didn’t live up to what everyone told me I should have done’.

“I think it kind of almost felt like it went from being something positive to something that was almost, like, a little bit of a panic of, ‘why hasn’t it happened yet? Why haven’t I been able to do it?’

“It really started to kind of weigh on me more where it was, ‘what if I never do it? If I don’t do it, am I considered a failure?’

“There was a lot of stuff that I had to, like, work through personally just with all of that just because of all of the pressure I was putting on myself with that.”

Aryna Sabalenka described her racquet smash as something she needed to do so she could be a gracious runner-up during the post-match presentations.

Sabalenka made her post-match media appearance just minutes after the trophy presentations were complete, and she was asked about her emotions as she smashed her racquet and left the court to cool off.

“Well, I mean, there definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy,” Sabalenka said.

“When you’re out there, you’re fighting, but it seems like everything going not the way you really want [it] to go.

“I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful. I was just trying to let it go and be a good person, be respectful [laughs].

“It’s OK. I mean, I’m the one who knows that after tough losses, there are good wins. So I’ll keep working and make sure that next time, if I’ll be in this situation, I’ll play definitely better.”

Australian Open champion Madison Keys holds up the trophy.Credit: Eddie Jim

Madison Keys and her husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.Credit: Eddie Jim

Australian Open champion Madison Keys poses with the trophy.Credit: AP

Keys made her first grand slam semi-final at Melbourne Park and she is so happy to win her first title here as well.

She also thanked the physios for “keeping us together with tape”.

Then came a tearful, poignant speech to her team and supporters.

Madison Keys of the United States celebrates a point against Aryna Sabalenka in the Women’s Singles Final.Credit: Getty Images

“I have wanted this for so long, and I have been in one other grand slam final, and it did not go my way and I didn’t know if I was ever going to get back to this position to try to win a trophy again,” Keys said.

“My team believed in me every step of the way. So, thank you so much. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, and helped me every step of the way. Last year was so tough, with some really bad injuries, I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to do it again.

“To be here and have this trophy, and my husband [and coach], who is looking confused over there ... I love you too. I love you all so much.

“Now I am dazed and confused. I want to say thank you so much, [I’m] so appreciative to every single person who helped me continue to believe in myself, and push on to achieve this dream. Thank you so much and I cannot wait to see you all next year.”

Sabalenka has accepted her runner’s up plate.

She joked to the trophy that she hopes she will see it next year.

Then praised Keys for her drive to the title and congratulated her. She said to enjoy the “really fun part” of celebrating the title.

Aryna Sabalenka.Credit: Eddie Jim

“First of all, Madison, what a tournament. You have been fighting really hard to get this trophy,” Sabalenka said.

“I really feel like home when I’m here and I’ll come back stronger and do my best next year.”

She then, playfully, turned on her team.

“As always, that’s your fault, guys. I don’t want to see you for the next week, I really hate you,” Sabalenka said with a laugh.

“Thank you so much for everything you do for me and blah blah blah. I think we did our best, just Madison was playing incredible and really I couldn’t do anything much. Next time I play against Madison, I will be better.”