Madison Keys at the 2026 Australian Open
Madison Keys enters the 2026 Australian Open as the defending champion and the No. 7 seed. The tournament takes place at Melbourne Park from 18 January to 1 February 2026. Keys is attempting to successfully defend a Grand Slam title for the first time in her career, following her breakthrough maiden major victory at this venue in 2025.
Background
Previous Year and 2025 Season
Keys enters 2026 following the most significant season of her career. In January 2025, she captured her first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set final (6–3, 2–6, 7–5). Her run to the title included victories over World No. 1 Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Świątek, making her the first woman since 2009 to defeat the top two seeds en route to a major title.
Her 2025 season continued with strong results, including a return to the Top 5 rankings in February. However, her year ended prematurely when she was forced to withdraw from the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh during the round-robin stage due to illness. Despite the unfortunate finish, she ended the year ranked World No. 7, her highest year-end ranking since 2016.
Preparation
Keys began her 2026 season by returning to the Adelaide International, where she was also the defending champion (having won the title in 2025 prior to her Grand Slam success).
- Adelaide Result: Keys reached the quarterfinals in Adelaide when this article was written and she would face Victoria Mboko from Canada.
- Coaching: She continues to be coached by her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo. The pair, who married in late 2024, have been credited with revitalizing Keys’ career through adjustments to her racquet specifications and a focus on “uncomfortable” tactical play, such as increased net approaches.
- Mindset: Speaking to the press upon her arrival in Melbourne, Keys described returning as the defending champion as a “cool opportunity” rather than a burden, noting that she has “nothing left to prove” after finally securing her maiden Slam.
Seedings
Keys is the No. 7 seed for the tournament.
- No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka
- No. 2: Iga Świątek
- No. 3: Coco Gauff…
- No. 7: Madison Keys
As the seventh seed, Keys is projected to face a Top 4 seed (potentially Coco Gauff or Iga Świątek) in the quarterfinals.
Tournament
Draw
The draw is scheduled to be released on Thursday, 15 January 2026.
First Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Second Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Third Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Fourth Round
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Quarterfinals
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Semifinals
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Final
- Opponent: TBD
- Result: TBD
Records and Milestones
- Title Defense: Keys is aiming to become the first American woman to defend the Australian Open title since Serena Williams (2009–2010).
- Ranking Points: Keys is defending the maximum 2,000 ranking points from her 2025 victory. An early exit could see her drop out of the Top 10.
Statistics
(Statistics to be updated as the tournament progresses)
| Category | Keys (2026) | Tournament Average |
| Aces | 0 | – |
| Double Faults | 0 | – |
| First Serve % | 0% | – |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 0% | – |
| Break Points Converted | 0/0 | – |
| Total Points Won | 0 | – |
