Defending Australian Open champion Madison Keys had a good time in Australia in 2025.Â
And the 30-year-old has eyes on making 2026 simply as worthwhile, getting her season off to a successful begin by beating McCarthy Kessler 6-4, 6-3 within the second spherical of the Brisbane Worldwide.
“It is all the time just a little nerve-wracking enjoying your first match of the 12 months,” Keys stated on court docket after the win.
“I felt like I used to be making an attempt to knock just a little little bit of the rust off, however general actually proud of how right this moment went.”
Making predictions based mostly on simply two units of tennis is never advisable, however at occasions Keys appeared impressively slick in her victory.Â
And regardless of a disappointing finish to the 2025 season that noticed her lose eight of her 17 matches since a quarter-final run at Roland Garros, together with a first-round exit on the US Open, Keys seems to be more likely to be a risk in Melbourne Park.
The world quantity seven got here out the blocks strongly, hitting clear, crisp winners with a businesslike depth from behind the baseline.
Her heavy groundstrokes earned her an early break however the first set ended up proving to be removed from plain crusing.
A mixture of Keys’s personal ring rust and a few creative, engaging tennis from Kessler turned the competition right into a critical battle.
McCartney Kessler performed a valiant all-court sport, however couldn’t stick with Madison Keys. (Getty Photographs: Albert Perez)
Keys had by no means confronted fellow American Kessler, the world quantity 31, in a match on the WTA tour.
However the 26-year-old from Georgia would have made a long-lasting impression with a formidable response to being damaged early.
“She’s such an amazing participant,” Keys stated on court docket after the win.
“She’s such an amazing competitor so I knew it was going to be an amazing match.”
The 26-year-old attacked along with her punchy two-handed backhand from the baseline and examined Keys scrambling within the humid circumstances.
Keys was damaged within the seventh sport and needed to stave off two break factors within the ninth as Kessler fought again.
However each time Kessler’s serve was within the slot, Keys crushed it for a dominant winner and ended up changing a fifth break level to say the primary set.
The second set began in the identical vein as the primary, as Keys was once more examined by Kessler’s motion up and down the court docket.
Each girls earned early break factors that neither might convert, earlier than Keys’ energy advised, breaking Kessler twice on her technique to a cushty victory in an hour and 26 minutes.
“It feels wonderful coming again to Australia,” Keys, who additionally received the Adelaide Worldwide final season, stated.Â
“Clearly final 12 months was a dream come true and one thing that I am going to bear in mind as considered one of my profession moments.
“I might clearly love a repeat of final 12 months however that is asking for lots if you happen to’re asking to go away the nation undefeated.
“That is all the time the purpose however up to now so good.”
