Sabalenka had won the Australian Open in 2023, and 2024, beating Elena Rybakina and Qinwen Zheng in the finals, but wasn’t able to get the better of her American opponent this time around.

Keys beat Sabalenka in a three-set thriller on Rod Laver Arena, as momentum swung back and forth throughout the match.

The American WTA star started the match brilliantly, winning the first set 6-3, overpowering her Belarussian opponent.

In the second, it was Sabalenka who took control, implementing the drop shot to good effect, levelling things up at one set all.

A late break in the third sealed it for Keys, who won her first Grand Slam title at 29-years-old.

After the match, Sabalenka took to social media to share her thoughts on the tournament and thanked the fans in Australia.

Aryna Sabalenka thanks Australian Open fans for making her feel at ‘home’ in Melbourne.

Following her three-set defeat to Keys, Sabalenka took to X to thank the Australian fans for making her feel welcome.

“Australia, thank you for your hospitality these past two weeks,” she said.

“The atmosphere you created for me every match makes me feel right at home and I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

Sabalenka had thanked the fans earlier in the week, saying that Melbourne ‘feels like home’.

Just as she did in her runners-up speech, Sabalenka poked fun at her team, joking that she won’t be talking to them for a while after the loss.

“To my team, I’ll speak to you in a week,” she said.

The 26-year-old was in good spirits post-match having initially smashed a racket when Keys converted her second match point.

What’s next for Aryna Sabalenka after Australian Open final defeat to Madison Keys?

The Belarussian will no doubt take the time to digest a tough defeat, before heading back on tour.

Sabalenka is next scheduled to play at the Doha WTA 1000 event, a tournament that she skipped in 2024.

Her post-Australian Open form wasn’t the greatest last year, something that she will hope to improve upon as she looks to get back to winning ways.

• Doha WTA 1000 – withdrew
• Dubai WTA 1000 – Lost in 2R
• Indian Wells WTA 1000 – Lost in 4R
• Miami Open WTA 1000 – Lost in 3R

After withdrawing from Doha, Sabalenka failed to reach the quarter-finals of her next three WTA 1000 events in 2024.

At the Grand Slam level there is more to look forward to for the world number one, as she looks to finally get her hands on the Roland Garros trophy.

Having been beaten in the last four in 2023, she lost in the quarter-finals last year and will be a real threat on the clay once more in 2025.

To win the title she’ll have to get past her biggest rival Iga Swiatek, who has been dominant in Paris over the past six years.

During her six French Open appearances, Swiatek has fallen to defeat just twice, and now hasn’t lost in 1,326 days.

Her last defeat came in 2021, to Greece’s Maria Sakkari in the quarter-finals, as he lost 4-6, 4-6, on Philippe Chatrier.

In contrast, Sabalenka currently holds a 16-7 record at the French Open, winning just 70% of her matches, to Swiatek’s 95%.

Only time will tell if Sabalenka can upset Swiatek at Roland Garros later this year, but it will certainly be worth a watch, as the French Open begins on Sunday, May 25.

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