A rivalry unlike any other! Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys have gone toe to toe several times, with a head-to-head that stands 5-2 in favor of the Belarusian. But in those two wins, Keys owned one of the biggest showdowns: the 2025 Australian Open. That night, she crushed Sabalenka’s dream of a three-peat with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 triumph. Now, twelve months later, Aryna finally gets her revenge.

On Friday, the two collided again in a gripping quarterfinal at the Brisbane International. The defending champion threw everything she had to halt Keys’ fearless run. Both players dug deep, trying to outthink and outpower each other in a lively, see-saw contest packed with intensity and fire. In the end, Sabalenka came out on top, 6-3, 6-3.

As reported by Tennis Channel on X, “Sabalenka gets revenge down under 😈 The World No. 1 defeats Keys in a rematch of last year’s AO final.”

With this win, Aryna Sabalenka extended her dominance Down Under. The World No. 1 notched her eighth consecutive victory in Brisbane, powering into her third career semifinal at the event. She’s now an incredible 36 wins from her last 38 matches in Australia, starting 2026 with a flawless 3-0 record and revenge over her last match with the American!

In Melbourne in 2025, Madison Keys had finally cracked the code. She survived Aryna Sabalenka in a fierce three-set final, pulling off one of those tight, nerve-tingling wins that stay etched in memory. That day, the two-time defending champion smashed her racquet in frustration while Keys lifted the biggest title of her career.

But since then, Keys has floundered, with injuries hampering her momentum and season. Sabalenka, on the other hand, can now smile about that moment. She arrived in Brisbane with a clearer head and a sharper focus. Before their latest clash, she even reflected on that loss.

“Twelve months ago, I wasn’t really clear in my head after that loss,” she said on Thursday. “But honestly, she just overhit me, overplayed me; she played incredible tennis.”

“I have to say that loss really pushed me so hard to keep working, make sure it’s not gonna happen again… We always play incredibly fast matches, the intensity.”

While she got her revenge in the land down under this time, it’s not her first win over Keys since that final. Not long after that Australian Open heartbreak, Aryna Sabalenka fired back at Indian Wells in 2025. A month later, she rolled past Keys 6-0, 6-1 during the Sunshine Double.

This win wasn’t without its trouble either. After extending their H2H, Sabalenka admitted that Keys certainly gave her a hard time on the court.

Aryna Sabalenka opens up on facing Madison Keys

Through every round, the World No. 1 has moved smoothly, yet to drop a set. This, though, was her first real challenge of the new year, a matchup that carried the weight of their fierce rivalry.

“She’s a great player, always tough battles against her,” Sabalenka said during her on-court chat with Jelena Dokic. “The whole match I was trying to stay focused, I was trying to stay in control on my serve and put as much pressure as I can on her serve.”

The top seed and defending champion needed just an hour and 30 minutes to get her payback, winning 6-3, 6-3 in a lively contest between two of the WTA’s biggest hitters. The rallies were pure power, each shot echoing with the kind of intent that defines both players.

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Keys began strong, cracking 16 winners in the first set while Sabalenka managed only six. The Belarusian bided her time, patient and composed, letting the match settle before stepping up her pace. It took nearly 30 minutes for them to reach 3-3, but once Sabalenka found her range, she locked in and never looked back.

The second set proved tighter than the score suggested. Keys broke Sabalenka’s serve twice and forced her into longer exchanges, testing her focus. Sabalenka regrouped quickly, matching power with precision and turning defense into attack with her trademark aggression.

“That’s all I was thinking about, and I think I did it well. She’s aggressive, but I tried to put all that speed back on her.”

Now holding a 6-2 record in their rivalry, Sabalenka turns her attention to the semifinals against Karolina Muchova. The Czech star stunned No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 and owns a 3-1 edge in their head-to-head. Sabalenka won their first meeting back in 2019, but Muchova has taken the last three, including their most recent clash in the 2024 Beijing quarterfinals.

Will the Belarusian succeed in defending her title at Brisbane before heading to Melbourne? Share your thoughts in the comments below!