As the Australian Open prepares to serve off its 2026 edition, defending champion Madison Keys is plotting a quiet, personal pilgrimage. The American star intends to steal a moment alone in the player tunnel at Rod Laver Arena to photograph her name now etched among the tournament's legends, a tangible proof of her dream realised to send home to her mother.
A Pinch-Me Moment in Melbourne
Speaking to the press in Melbourne on Friday, 16th January 2026, two days before the season's first major commences, the 30-year-old reflected on the surreal nature of her return as title-holder. Keys triumphed over world number one Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final, ending the Belarusian's formidable 20-match winning streak at Melbourne Park to claim her maiden Grand Slam crown.
"I’ve always remembered walking through that tunnel and seeing all the names," Keys said. "It was a little bit of a pinch-me moment where I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to be up there.’ I have not seen my name in the tunnel yet. I hope I can go in there when there’s no one else so I can take a picture and send it to my mom."
Her victory, achieved at age 29, made her the tournament's oldest first-time women's champion. It also set a record for the longest gap between a player's first two Grand Slam finals—her first being the 2017 US Open.
The Reality Behind the Fairytale
While the memory is golden, Keys is acutely aware her path to glory was far from smooth. She acknowledged the brutal reality behind the triumph, recalling being match point down and battling through gruelling three-set contests. "It’s easy to look back and think everything worked to perfection, but also you think about, ‘Wow, I almost lost,’" she admitted. "There were some ugly matches. I think it kind of just makes everything a little bit better just because it wasn’t issue-free."
The win propelled her into the world's top five shortly after, but the subsequent season presented its own challenges. Following her breakthrough, she faced early exits at the French Open (quarter-finals), Wimbledon (third round), and a nervy first-round departure at the US Open. She also lost two group-stage matches at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Sabalenka's Redemption Mission
Meanwhile, her vanquished final foe, Aryna Sabalenka, is back with a point to prove. The top seed admitted on Friday that last year's defeat was difficult to process. "She played incredible and overplayed me. Took me a little time to recover," Sabalenka confessed. "Going to this AO, I’m not really focusing on that last year result but of course I would like to do just a little bit better than I did last year!"
Sabalenka gained a measure of revenge last week, defeating Keys in the quarter-finals on her way to claiming the Brisbane International title. She begins her Australian Open campaign on Sunday night against French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah.
Keys, seeded ninth and in the opposite half of the draw, will open her title defence against Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova. She arrives after a quarter-final loss in her Adelaide title defence but is embracing the novelty of her new status. "Even though I’ve been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as that," she said of defending a major. "I’m really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts."
And while she plans to savour the unique moments, the competitive nerves remain a constant. "Yes, I’m sure going on court I’m going to be very nervous," Keys stated, "but I don’t think I’ve ever walked on court first round of a Grand Slam and not been nervous."
