Madison Keys struggles early but wins opening Australian Open match

Madison Keys fell behind 0-4 before recovering to beat Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-6 (8), 6-1 in her opening match while defending her Australian Open title.

Madison Keys began her Australian Open title defence with a nervy outing on Rod Laver Arena. She lost the first four games but then calmed and closed out the match in straight sets. Keys won her first major at this venue last year and entered the tournament as the ninth seed. She had earlier season quarter-final exits in Brisbane and Adelaide. Key details: - Keys is the American ninth seed. - She fell behind 0-4 early in the match. - The final score was 7-6 (8), 6-1 against Oleksandra Oliynykova. - Keys said she had been thinking about the moment for a year and felt nervous at the start. - She won her first Grand Slam in Melbourne last year and did not win additional titles in 2025. Summary: Her victory keeps her title defence alive and advances her to the next round of the Australian Open. Undetermined at this time.