Madison Keys finds final polish to achieve destiny at Australian Open | Jack Snape

Years without a major triumph eroded expectations but the 29-year-old unlocked her best level to end Sabalenka’s reign

Madison Keys leads 5-4 in the third set, and with another heavy return she pressures the best tennis player in the world into an error. It is 0-15 on a cool evening in Melbourne, and the American is three points from a first grand slam title.

The 29-year-old has spent more time on the professional tour than not, after debuting soon after becoming a teenager. She was a prodigy always destined for great things, until the years without a major triumph eroded expectations. At Rod Laver Arena she is now closer than ever to her fading destiny.