In a stunning turn of events just days before her title defense at the Australian Open, Madison Keys faced an unexpected defeat in the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International. She was up against the promising Canadian player, Victoria Mboko, who claimed victory with scores of 6-4, 4-6, and 6-2.
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Madison Keys, the reigning champion, was unable to secure a win against the rising star, Victoria Mboko, on Thursday. This match came shortly before the commencement of the Australian Open, where Keys aims to defend her title (https://apnews.com/article/australian-open-2025-women-final-keys-sabalenka-9c448968ccd1ef1e3ccc1a068d1808bc).
The defeat in Adelaide followed a disappointing exit from the Brisbane International quarterfinals as well, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, a player Keys triumphed over last year at Melbourne Park to earn her first Grand Slam singles championship.
As the defending champion in Adelaide, Keys faced a tough challenge from the eighth-seeded Mboko. The Canadian player broke Keys' serve early in the match, allowing her to take the first set. However, Keys showcased her powerful serving skills in the second set, managing to fire eight aces during the match—six of which came in that crucial second set.
Despite her efforts, Mboko bounced back brilliantly in the third set, winning 75% of her first-serve points and capitalizing on the only breakpoint she had to secure her place in the semifinals, where she will compete against Australia's Kimberly Birrell.
Mboko's impressive rise in the tennis world has been noteworthy; she was recognized as the WTA Newcomer of the Year after her victory at the National Bank Open in Montreal (https://apnews.com/article/mboko-osaka-montreal-tennis-wta-ee92216c01ad9763795e92661b146068), and her ranking soared from No. 333 at the beginning of the season to No. 18.
The Australian Open is set to kick off this Sunday, with Keys slated to play against Oleksandra Oliynykova from Ukraine in the first round of the tournament. Meanwhile, Mboko will be facing Emerson Jones of Australia to start her journey in the major event.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
