The Big Lead

Madison Keys says she 'blacked out' during epic Australian Open win

By Joe Lago

Jan 24, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Madison Keys of United States of America interview after her match against Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinals of the women's singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Madison Keys of United States of America interview after her match against Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinals of the women's singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images / Mike Frey-Imagn Images
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The Australian Open semifinal clash between 19th-seeded Madison Keys and No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek had so many twist and turns and wild swings of momentum that it had Keys' head spinning.

“I felt like I blacked out there at some point,” Keys said, “and was out there running around.”

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Keys ended up running down Swiatek, the five-time Grand Slam champion, in a spirited comeback that produced one of the biggest victories of her career. The 29-year-old American reached the second major tournament final of her career with Thursday's 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) upset win in Melbourne.

During her postmatch interview, Keys talked about how manic the hyper-intense match got. The action left her so frazzled that afterward she couldn't remember one of the biggest moments.

“I’m still trying to catch up to everything that’s happening,” Keys said. “I felt like I was just fighting to stay in it."

"There were so many big points and break point chances that neither one of us got," Keys said. "Did she have a match point?"

Yes, she did. Swiatek had match point on her racquet while serving at 6-5 and up 40-30, but she dumped a backhand into the net. Keys eventually recorded the service break to force the deciding tiebreaker.

In the third-set tiebreak, Keys overcame one last deficit, winning four of the last five points to secure the victory. The emotion of the moment overwhelmed Keys, who, after waving to the crowd, burst into tears.

Keys advances to Saturday's final, where she will meet top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time defending champion. Sabalenka defeated 11th-seeded Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday.

“It was a matter of one or two balls,” Swiatek told reporters. “Madison was kind of brave.”

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