American tennis star, Madison Keys, entered her name into the record books when she claimed her first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open Womenโs Final on January 25. She managed to defeat two-time Australian Open champion and World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, to take home the title. For Keys, this win was 15 years of struggle and injury in the making, bringing the tennis star to tears as she hoisted the Daphne Akhurt Memorial Cup over her head.
But despite the success at the Open, Keys has been restricted from playing in the upcoming ATX in Texas due to a rule implemented by the Womenโs Tennis Association (WTA).
Winning The 2025 Australian Grand Slam
Winning the 2025 Australian Open (which concluded in January 2025) was a bit of a comeback story for Keys. A shoulder injury meant she had to withdraw from some matches earlier in the year (including the 2024 Australian Open), and a hamstring injury resulted in a withdrawal from the fourth round at Wimbledon when she was facing up against Jasmine Paolini.
Keys was ranked Worldโs No. 21 at the start of the latest season, but winning the Adelaide International and then the Australian Open saw her jump in the rankings to number 7.
Keysโ defeat of Sabalenka came as a surprise, as before the event, Sablenka was given the most favorable odds to win. Bookmakers set Sablenkaโs odds at 2/1, while Keys were offered 8/1 odds of winning the Grand Slam. The odds will certainly look different for future tournaments where Keys will play, so punters can head over to sports betting platforms with no ID required for verification to start wagering on her more favorable odds.ย
Sablenka was a strong opponent from the get-go, but Keys was equally strong, and took the first set 6-3, meaning she just had one set left to claim the title. But the Belarussian tennis start fought back and won the second set 2-6.
Fortunately, Keys came into her own, her confidence evident, and was able to win the final set 7-5 and win her first Major title.
Players defeated during her winning streak
Madison Keys had a very successful winning streak leading up to the Australian Open, and during it, defeating some of the best-ranked tennis players in the world:
- Adelaide International QF: Keys defeat Kasatkina, 6-1, 6-3
- Adelaide International SF: Keys defeat Samsonova, 5-7, 7-3, 3-0 (retired)
- Adelaide International F: Keys defeat Pegula, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
- Australian Open 1R: Keys defeat Li. 6-4. 7-5
- Australian Open 2R: Keys defeat Ruse, 7-6, 2-6, 7-5
- Australian Open 3R: Keys defeat Collins, 6-4, 6-4
- Australian Open 4R: Keys defeat Rybakina, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
- Australian Open QF: Keys defeat Svitolina, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Australian Open SF: Keys defeat Swiatek, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6
- Australian Open F: Keys defeat Sabalenka, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
This impressive winning streak finished Keysโ multi-year attempts at a Grand Slam title, a time when she had to overcome physical injuries and mental challenges that impacted her confidence. She took home a staggering $2,198,928 along with the trophy, and this win allowed her to jump from 14th to 7th place in the WTA rankings.
In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Keys reflected on her achievement, admitting she hadnโt yet fully processed it. “Itโs been a whirlwind, and I havenโt really had a moment to take it all in. The past 48 hours have been incredible, and Iโm just so thrilled to finally win this,” she shared. Discussing the level of competition she faced, she added, “The draw was challenging, but with each match, my confidence grew. At some point, something just clicked, and I truly believed, โI can do this.โ”
WTA Rule States Only Top-10 Players Can Enter 250-Level Tournaments
Despite this impressive feat at the Australian Open, a bizarre WTA rule now prevents Keys from playing the ATX Open in Austin, Texas. According to the New York Times, the WTA regulations state that โA WTA 250 Tournament in the same week as a WTA 500 Tournament may accept only one (1) player whose WTA Singles Ranking is 1-10 at the Tournamentโs Main Draw entry deadline.โ
The ATX Open is taking place alongside the Merida Open in Mexico, a WTA 500 event. With world No. 6 Jessica Pegula already set to compete in Austin, Madison Keys is unable to participate due to tournament regulations. ATX Open organizers explained that as a WTA 250 event, they can only accommodate one Top 10 player unless the defending champion returns while holding a Top 10 ranking. This rule is in place to maintain competitive balance across all WTA tournaments occurring that week.
Keys entered the ATX when she was still ranking outside of the top 20, and Pegula was the only top 10 entrant at the time. And now because of her new no. 7 ranking, Keys will no longer be allowed to participate, despite her new Grand Slam title.
Christo van Rensburg, Tournament Director for the ATX, expressed disappointment over the situation, stating that Madisonโs participation had been highly anticipated for months.
It is important to note that this Top 10 rule does not apply to any of the ATP tournaments, the male counterpart of the WTA.
Whatโs Next For Madison Keys?
It is unlikely that Keys will play in the Merida Open in Mexico, and sheโs expected to head to the Middle East to participate in several WTA 1000 events. She was expected to play in the Doha Open but had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury. However, she remains committed to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship which kicks off in mid-February, and from there tackle the Indian Wells Open in March.