Your preview to the Australian Open women’s final between Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys: How to watch, head-to-head and more

The moment has come, with history beckoning in the Australian Open women’s final to be played out at Melbourne Park on Saturday night AEDT. 

Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys have taken contrasting yet remarkable paths to reach this year’s Australian Open final. 

Sabalenka powered through the draw with dominant performances, highlighted by a straight-sets semifinal win over Paula Badosa. 

Her journey included victories against Sloane Stephens, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Clara Tauson, Mirra Andreeva, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. 

On the other hand, Keys showcased resilience and grit, saving a match point in her thrilling three-set semifinal win against world number one Iga Swiatek. 

Along the way, Keys defeated Ann Li, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, and Elina Svitolina in what has been a gutsy campaign.

How to Watch, Follow, Stream:

• Who: Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys
• What: Australian Open Women’s Singles Final
• Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
• When: 7:30 PM AEDT, Saturday

How to Watch:

• Australia: Watch live on Channel Nine and stream on 9Now.
• United Kingdom: Tune in on Eurosport or stream via the Discovery+ platform.
• United States: Catch the action on ESPN or stream through ESPN+. 

Head-to-Head Matches:

Sabalenka will be looking to create history after storming her way through the draw

Keys had to do it a bit tougher and is on the wrong ledger of the head-to-head, but will be looking to defy those figures

Keys and Sabalenka have met five times previously, with the Belarusian winning four of them. Their most recent clash was on the hard courts in Beijing last year, which Sabalenka won. Keys’ sole victory came on grass in Berlin in 2021.

Head-to-Head Matches:

• 2024 – Beijing, 4th round – Sabalenka won 6-4, 6-3
• 2023 – US Open, Semifinal – Sabalenka won 0-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(5)
• 2023 – Wimbledon, Quarterfinal – Sabalenka won 6-2, 6-4
• 2021 – Berlin, 2nd round – Keys won 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
• 2018 – Cincinnati, Quarterfinal – Sabalenka won 6-3, 6-4

Sabalenka acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, ‘She’s playing incredible tennis. She’s a very aggressive player, serving well, moving well. She’s in great shape. It’s going to be a great battle. We had a lot of great battles in the past.’

Sabalenka’s Quest for History

Sabalenka won the Australian Open in 2024 and is in arguably better form this time around

Sabalenka, the defending champion, has been described by semifinalist Paula Badosa as playing ‘like she’s on a PlayStation’ after her dominant straight-sets victory. She is currently on a 20-match winning streak on Melbourne’s hard courts and aims to secure a historic threepeat, a feat last achieved by Martina Hingis in 1999.

Aryna Sabalenka’s Route to the Final:

• Semifinal: beat [11] Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 6-2
• Quarterfinal: beat [27] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
• Round of 16: beat [15] Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2
• Third round: beat Clara Tauson (DEN) 7-6(5), 6-4
• Second round: beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) 6-3, 7-5
• First round: beat Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-2

A win would make Sabalenka the first woman to win three consecutive Australian Open titles in the 21st century. Only five women have achieved this in the Open Era: Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Hingis.

Madison Keys’ Grand Slam Journey

Keys lost her first crack at a grand slam title and will be looking to make amends for that

For Madison Keys, this marks her second Grand Slam final, the first being a loss to Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open. Reflecting on that experience, Keys said, ‘I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play. I’ve learned that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable and still play tennis through that.’

Madison Keys’ Route to the Final:

• Semifinal: beat [2] Iga Swiatek (POL) 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8)
• Quarterfinal: beat [28] Elina Svitolina (UKR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Round of 16: beat [6] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
• Third round: beat [10] Danielle Collins (USA) 6-4, 6-4
• Second round: beat [Q] Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 7-6(1), 2-6, 7-5
• First round: beat Ann Li (USA) 6-4, 7-5

Keys has shown incredible resilience, saving a match point and eight break points in her semifinal against Iga Swiatek, which culminated in a 10-point tiebreak victory. She enters the final on an 11-match winning streak and is set to re-enter the top 10 rankings for the first time since 2019.

How They Match Up:

Both players have similar powerful playing styles, characterised by aggressive serves and forehands. Sabalenka, at 6 feet tall, has been the benchmark for controlled aggression, which Keys has openly admired.

‘I’ve always been impressed with how she trusts her game and goes after it,’ Keys said. ‘I’ve worked on emulating that mindset, especially in big moments.’

Sabalenka remembers their most memorable encounter at the 2023 US Open semifinal, where Keys led 6-0, 5-3 but eventually lost. 

‘It felt like she was just going for her shots, and everything was going in. I saw that and thought, ‘Now is the moment to make sure you put as many balls back as you can.’

What’s at Stake

The Australian Open’s total prize pool is $59.8million, a 12 per cent increase from 2024. The women’s singles champion will receive $2.16million, with the runner-up earning $1.17million.

A victory for Keys would make her the first player to defeat the world’s top two-ranked women at a Grand Slam since Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros in 2009. It would also be her maiden Grand Slam title. 

For Sabalenka, it’s about cementing her legacy as one of the game’s greats and continuing her dominance on Melbourne’s blue hard courts.