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Aryna Sabalenka will aim to win a third Australian Open in a row against first-time finalist Madison Keys on Saturday in a battle of two big-hitters in the women’s singles final.
World No 1 Sabalenka has won 20 matches in a row at Melbourne Park and can become the first player to win three women’s singles titles in a row since Martina Hingis achieved a ‘three-peat’ in 1999.
Keys defeated second seed Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final clash on Thursday and the 29-year-old is aiming to win her first grand slam title, having lost the US Open final to Sloane Stephens in 2017.
Keys and Sabalenka also met in the US Open semi-final in 2023, in what was a hugely emotional defeat for the American player at her home grand slam.
She will be out for revenge but stands as the underdog against Sabalenka, who has the chance to underline her status as the best player in the world with a fourth grand slam title at the age of 26. Here’s everything you need to know.
When is the Australian Open women’s final?
It will start from 8:30am GMT (UK time) on Saturday 25 January.
How can I watch the Australian Open?
In the UK, the Australian Open will be broadcast live on Eurosport. Subscribers can also stream the action online on the Eurosport website or with the discovery+ app.
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Aryna Sabalenka vs Madison Keys head-to-head
This will be the sixth match between Sabalenka and Keys and third at the grand slams. Sabalenka has won four of their five previous encounters and the only victory for Keys came on grass.
Their last meeting was on hard courts at the China Open in Beijing last season, with Sabalenka winning in straight sets. Before then, Sabalenka came from a set down to beat Keys in the 2023 US Open semi-final.
2024: Beijing, round of 16, hard court: Sabalenka won 6-4 6-3
2023: US Open, semi-final, hard court: Sabalenka won 0-6 7-6 (1) 7-6 (5)
2023: Wimbledon, quarter-finals, grass: Sabalenka won 6-2 6-4
2021: Berlin, round of 16, grass: Keys won 6-4 1-6 7-5
2018: Cincinnati, quarter-finals, hard court: Sabalenka won 6-3 6-4
What has Aryna Sabalenka said about Madison Keys?
[Speaking about the US Open semi-final in 2023]: “I was under so much pressure. It felt like she was just going for her shots, and everything was going in. She was just crushing it.
“I think at some moments she was just… she started questioning herself. I saw that and I felt like now is the moment to make sure that you put as many balls back as you can. I think that was the crucial moment to turn things around.
“She played incredible, aggressive tennis in that semi-final.”
What has Madison Keys said about Aryna Sabalenka?
“What’s really impressive is her mentality. I think her ability to kind of always go for it, no matter what the score is, is really impressive. She plays such fearless tennis. She has the ability to play so well that way. I think it’s very unique.
“I think a lot of people, no matter what, even if it was a tight point, you kind of expect them to play a little bit more conservative or back down a little bit, and you know she’s not going to do that.
“I think not only is that impressive on her side, but I think it puts a little bit more pressure on her opponents where you know you’re always going to have to try to win the point because she’s never going to just play passive and give you an easy point.”
