In perhaps the highest-stakes match of the Australian Summer of Tennis so far, Aryna Sabalenka dismissed Madison Keys to surge into the Brisbane International semifinals.
It was a rematch of the Australian Open 2025 final, which Keys won in a 6-3 2-6 7-5 thriller to hoist her first Grand Slam trophy.
This time around, Sabalenka ensured there would be no repeat of Keys’ heroics on Australian soil, winning 6-3 6-3 on Friday to keep her Brisbane International title defence on track.
Since falling to Keys in that AO final, and missing out on completing a hattrick of titles at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka has not dropped a set to the American.
She also beat Keys, 6-0 6-1, when they met just six weeks later in the Indian Wells semifinals, admitting: “I needed this revenge badly.”
While it was not so one-sided at Pat Rafter Arena, Sabalenka was imperious when the two reigning major champions met again, completing victory in less than 90 minutes.
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“Of course you're aware of the level of your opponent, but I never stay in the past,” said Sabalenka, who meets Karolina Muchova for a place in the Brisbane final.
“I know that I lost in Australia against her, and that's the big motivation of course to go out and to get the win. But I never, like, stay in the past, and never remember things from the previous meeting.
“I know I have to be focused from the beginning to the end with her, because she's incredible fighter and she can come back any time.
“My approach is like it's a new match, doesn't matter what happened in the past, I have to go out there and play my best tennis.”
Sabalenka has been finding her best tennis a lot of late, especially in Australia. She’ll need it when she faces Muchova, the talented Czech who has won their past three meetings.
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Sabalenka has built an eight-match winning streak in Brisbane and has won 36 of her past 38 matches on Australian soil dating back to the beginning of 2023.
Yet to drop more than three games in any set en route to the Brisbane semis, Sabalenka also handed Keys her first loss in Australia since 2023.
Keys, who went unbeaten Down Under in 2025 after missing the Australian swing in 2024, last lost here in the third round of AO 2023 to Victoria Azarenka.
As Sabalenka continues her campaign for a second straight Brisbane title, Keys heads to Adelaide, where she’s the defending champion.
“That's obviously the goal. That would be great,” Keys smiled, when asked if she could replicate her Adelaide-AO double of 2025.
“Really looking forward to playing again in Adelaide. I have always really enjoyed that tournament. Hopefully I can gain and then just keep a lot of momentum going.”
Yet it’s Sabalenka with the momentum currently, and as the world No.1 closes in on a 10th final from her past 17 tournaments, she’s sending a warning shot to the rest of her rivals ahead of AO 2026.