Madison Keys is bracing for a blockbuster all-American showdown at the Australian Open, and she knows it won’t be easy. Defending champion Keys and sixth seed Jessica Pegula set up a mouthwatering R16 clash after cruising through their third-round matches in Melbourne on Saturday. Keys dismissed Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, while Pegula powered past Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena, with neither player dropping a set so far in the tournament. So, the stage is set!

Now, it’s time to deliver. With both Americans in red-hot form, their upcoming encounter promises fireworks. The duo has faced of three times on the WTA Tour, with Keys holding a narrow 2-1 H2H edge, including a memorable victory over Pegula in last year’s Adelaide International. Speaking about her upcoming battle with Pegula, Keys didn’t shy away from acknowledging the challenge. “It’s going to be a tough match. Jess is such a great player.”

Interestingly, both players broke serve four times in their latest matches, underlining their aggressive and confident starts to the tournament. Speaking about her compatriot, Madison Keys further added, “She’s always so consistently doing well every single week that she plays. She’s such a competitor. She is in every single match. She’s just so gritty. So, you know, it’s always going to be a really tough match.”

Jessica Pegula’s consistency has been especially impressive. She has now reached the R16 at a major tournament for the 11th time in the past five years. Meanwhile, the stakes extend beyond personal bragging rights: the winner of this clash will guarantee at least one American in the AO QF for the 12th straight year, continuing a streak that dates back to 2014.

Adding an extra layer of intrigue to the matchup is their off-court friendship. That camaraderie was fully on display during their post-match press conferences, where humor and friendly banter took center stage. What else did Madison Keys say about this epic duel in Melbourne?

Madison Keys reveals an interesting post-match plan made by Jessica Pegula

Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula’s AO clash isn’t just a tennis showdown; it’s turning into podcast content with a side of playful chaos. As the defending champion prepares to face a fellow American in the AO fourth round, their off-court friendship is adding a fun twist to an already high-stakes matchup. The duo, along with Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, co-host The Player’s Box Podcast, a fan-favorite series launched in 2025 that offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into life on the WTA Tour.

Keys couldn’t resist highlighting the uniqueness of their upcoming battle. “This is going to be the first match in Grand Slam history between two podcast co-hosts. It’s a very niche headline.”

The lighthearted tone carried into their post-match press conferences as well. With both players cruising into the R16, they teased ways to bring their podcast into the moment. “We’re going to go live. Maybe we should tell Des (Krawczyk). She’s here. She can go live on the pod during our singles match,” said Pegula.

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Hearing this, Madison Keys also added, “We’re both going to try to think of something to kind of commemorate this moment.” But how? The most amusing revelation came when Keys shared Pegula’s proposed post-match wager. According to Keys, Pegula wants to turn the result into a friendly dare, where the loser must complete a challenge chosen by the winner. And Pegula’s first idea? A controversial dessert.

“She wants to make me eat her disgusting apple pie with cheese on top of it if I lose, which I said I refuse, so she’s going to have to think of something else.”

Madison Keys went on to describe the infamous combination, apple pie topped with cheddar cheese and microwaved, recalling how Pegula once tried to convince their podcast crew it was completely normal. The quirky food debate dates back to a Thanksgiving-themed episode of ‘The Player’s Box,’ where Pegula defended it as a family tradition common in parts of the U.S.

But what about trash talk? Will there be any in this clash of two familiar foes? Here’s what Madison Keys said on this: “I don’t know if either of us really trash talks very well. I’m sure we’re going to, for sure, find some way to at least talk about it and hopefully make it entertaining.”

Jessica Pegula believes this faceoff could also help the numbers on their podcast. So, perhaps a bit of trash talk is not a bad option for her. Pegula wasn’t too pleased playing an American (McCartney Kessler in the second round), but now she once again has to face another compatriot in Melbourne. Who according to you, has the edge in this all-American duel, though?