Madison Keys is dreaming big this year, but she’s being smart about it. The American finally captured her first Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open after eight long years of trying. Taking down World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion, was no small feat, but Keys held firm. While it hasn’t been an easy challenge since, Keys has learned one thing from her victory.

Ahead of 2026, Madison faced another big test: the WTA Finals. She qualified for the 2025 edition in Riyadh as one of the world’s top eight, her first appearance there in nine years. Though illness forced her to withdraw after group-stage losses to Swiatek and Anisimova, Keys heads into the new year with a sharper mindset and a clear focus on defending her Australian Open title in Melbourne next week.

“I think the biggest thing is getting to the point where it’s not about not feeling the pressure, but knowing how to navigate through it,” Keys told The National during the WTA Finals. “I think I sometimes get in the habit of trying to avoid it and push it away and just say everything is great and fine and it’ll be OK. And then I walk out onto the match court, and because I’ve been avoiding it for the last three weeks or whatever, then it kind of just all hits you, and then you feel unprepared.”

Madison Keys had a fiery start to 2025, storming through Adelaide and Melbourne before reaching the Indian Wells semifinals with an unbeaten 16-0 run. By season’s end, she had compiled a solid 37-15 record, proving that her game and mindset were syncing better than ever.

Now, she’s started 2026 on a steady note, reaching the quarterfinals in Brisbane. Aryna Sabalenka got her payback against Keys in a tight match and went on to lift the trophy. Madison, though, isn’t backing down just yet. Despite the loss, she’s looking ahead with the same sharp focus and positive energy.

“So I think it’s much more about how to use tools to help you get through it, and expect that it’s going to be there. And the reality of it is, sometimes you do a great job at handling it, and other times you don’t. It’s the reality of sports, the reality of life,” she said with a smile.

The Australian Open begins on January 18, but before the bright lights of Melbourne, Keys will first make a stop in Adelaide to defend her title. She also opened up about how playing Adelaide might be essential in boosting confidence for AO!

Madison Keys on competing at the WTA 500

This week marks Keys’ third appearance in Adelaide, a place that clearly brings out her best tennis. She captured the title in 2022 on her debut and returned in 2025 to win again before conquering the Australian Open. With another shot at glory and the first Slam of the season looming next week, she’s banking on this stop to sharpen her edge.

“It helped a lot,” Madison Keys said during a press conference. “Twice before I’ve played Adelaide and ended up making the semis of the Australian Open. Then last year I went deep.”

The American tennis star touched down in Adelaide on Sunday, eager to reconnect with the winning rhythm she found here a year ago. This year, her Brisbane run offered a reality check and a reset.

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At Brisbane, she beat McCartney Kessler 6-4, 6-3 and then faced little trouble against Diana Shnaider, who took the first set, but she pulled out another win 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. However, when Keys lost to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, it gave her a reality check.

“You want matches at the beginning of the season,” she explained. “You really want to test yourself. I think that getting as many good matches as possible helps you figure out what’s working, what’s not working, where to make some tweaks here or there, but it also just gives you a lot of confidence and momentum.”

Now, as the top seed in Adelaide following Jessica Pegula’s late withdrawal after her Brisbane semifinal run, Madison Keys looks ready for another charge. The big question is whether she can defend her title with the same spark that propelled her to Melbourne magic last year. What do you think? Can she go back-to-back?