The best feel-good sports story of 2025 just got sweeter.
Madison Keys — who nearly retired from tennis in 2024 — continued her Cinderella-like run to start the new year by reaching the final of the 2025 Australian Open on Thursday.
Entering the match, the American was the overwhelming underdog against World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who lost only 14 games (and no sets) en route to the semifinal and looked like a lock to reach the final.
Keys, though, never doubted herself for a single minute. After losing the first set, 5-7, she dominated the second set, 6-1 and was up a break in the third. Swiatek then went on a run and had a match point up 6-5 in the deciding set. However, Keys kept fighting to stay alive, backed by a boisterous Melbourne crowd firmly in her corner.
Down 6-4 in the tiebreak, Keys again kept her composure and stormed back to tie the score at 8-8 with an ace. Swiatek would then mistime back-to-back forehand shots, possibly choking under the bright lights, to give Keys the tiebreak and the improbable victory.