Last year, Madison Keys admitted she would be lying if she never had doubts about having another shot at realizing her Grand Slam dream. She did it at 29. Now, in 2026, it’s time to see if she can defend her crown in Melbourne. Her recent win against Ashlyn Krueger was her ninth consecutive win at the AO. But this one was certainly not easy. She opened up about the pressure and privilege that come with returning as the titleholder.

“It feels amazing being back as defending champion, and I always had amazing memories here,” Keys said after winning, 6-1, 7-5. “It was my first SF of a Grand Slam here. So it felt very fitting to win my first Grand Slam here in front of all these amazing people.”

Then, of course, comes all the pressure…

“Everyone keeps asking if I’m gonna do it again,” Keys continued. “Hopefully. But at the same time, that was such an amazing experience, and no one can ever take that away from me. So, whether or not I do repeat it, I still get to keep Daphne [the Australian Open trophy] at home.”

Even earlier this week, after her 7-6(8-6), 6-1 win over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, Keys spoke about a wide range of topics, and one of them was, obviously, her title defense.

“I was talking with Lindsay Davenport yesterday,” Keys said. “She reminded me that few players get the chance to defend a Grand Slam title and that I should fully enjoy it. Despite my initial nerves, I’m thrilled to be back and to have won this match.”

Keys‘ love affair with Australia continues to deepen. She’ll face the former World No. 1 and a two-time finalist at the majors, Karolina Pliskova, next. Pliskova’s best AO result was reaching the SF in 2019. Both players have faced each other only once before. It was at the 2020 Brisbane International where the Czech star took down Keys in a three-set thriller.

It’ll be interesting to see who gets the edge in their second meeting on the Tour. But what did Keys say about her performance in the second-round match against Krueger?

Madison Keys anticipated a tricky match against her compatriot, Ashlyn Krueger

Madison Keys looked in complete control early on at John Cain Arena, racing through the opening set in just 23 minutes. She struck seven winners, converted all three break points, and barely allowed Krueger a foothold. But the match took a turn in the second set as the ninth seed fell behind 2-5, plagued by a string of double faults that handed the 21-year-old two service breaks.

Just when doubts appeared to creep in, Keys responded with the authority of a champion. She reeled off five straight games, rediscovered her aggression, and closed out the contest in straight sets to keep her title defense on track.

“I think I started really well, and Ashlyn started a little bit slow, and then I was fully expecting her to raise her level, which she did,” Keys reflected. “I just wanted to, even if I lost the (second) set, make sure I tried to get back in the set and try to figure out where my game kind of went and be able to get a few more points on the board. Once I got back momentum, I just tried to sink my teeth into the set and do whatever I could to get back into it.”

Top Stories

Naomi Osaka Blasts Opponent Over Cold Handshake After Win: “Her Last Australian Open”

Madison Keys & Jessica Pegula Join Coco Gauff to Speak on Donald Trump’s Administration: “Big Melting Pot”

Iga Swiatek Nearly Avoids Being Hit by Opponent’s Racket in Tough Australian Open Clash

Naomi Osaka and Antonia Ruzic Refuse to Continue Australian Open Match- Here’s What Happened

Ben Shelton Wins Over Australian Open Crowd’s Heart With an Apology After Winning

Keys’ run at the AO last year included four wins over top ten seeds. Now, with the action coming thick and fast, fans are waiting to see how many she gets this year in Melbourne. With confidence growing and perspective firmly in place, she appears determined to enjoy every step of her title defense.