What it’s like to watch the final from the best seats in the house – for the low, low price of $32,000
Club 1905 is the pinnacle of luxury at Melbourne Park. If you’d sold your car or taken out a second mortgage to secure your place in the exclusive group, here’s what you’d be getting…
Former star’s huge call on Keys’ last match
Former Australian star turned commentator Alicia Molik belives Keys will have to overcome the ‘incredibly physical’ three-set semi she won over Iga Swiatek to come out on top tonight, but she isn’t writing off her chances at all.
‘It is the best tennis played in that match that I have seen in the last 10 or 12 years,’ she said of the dramatic semifinal.
‘That’s not just here in the Australian Open, that is in women’s tennis full stop.’
What happened the last time Keys was in a grand slam final
Keys contested the 2017 US Open final against her countrywoman Sloane Stephens – and it did not go well for her at all.
After losing the first set 6-3, she was blown away 6-0 to lose the match after making 30 unforced errors to Stephens’ six.
Keys was the favourite heading into the clash.
‘Sloane is one of my favourite people, I didn’t play my best tennis and if there’s someone I have to lose to today I’m glad it’s her,’ Keys said as she struggled to contain her emotions afterwards.
Why Sabalenka is getting blanked on Channel Nine tonight
Eagle-eyed viewers tonight will pick up on the fact that while Madison Keys will have the US flag displayed next to her name on Nine’s graphic, there’s just a blank space for Aryna Sabalenka. Here’s the explanation…
The bizarre story behind tonight’s silverware
Whoever wins the final will be presented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, pictured below, which was first awarded in 1934.
The trophy was actually made in England, and it’s named after the Aussie who won the title in 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929 and 1930.
In 1970, the lid of the cup went missing because the Open had shifted to Sydney and only the base was brought north to NSW.
Former Tennis Australia boss Geoff Pollard and his wife found the missing piece when they were going through cupboards at Sydney’s White City stadium around 1982.
Whoever gets up tonight will get a full-size replica of the mug – with the lid.
Keys is loose as a goose
Madison Keys looks completely unruffled in this clip from the players’ gym, with just over an hour to go before she tries to win her first grand slam.
Jelena Dokic names the one thing Keys CANNOT afford to do if she’s going to take the title in a huge upset
The tennis star turned Nine commentator believes the American is doomed if she drops the first set against Sabalenka.
Keys went a set down to Iga Swiatek in her semi before her stirring fightback saw her survive a match point to advance – but Dokic believes she won’t be able to overcome a similar start against the top seed.
‘If she doesn’t get a good start, even if she doesn’t win the first set, I think it’s going to be very hard for her to win from there,’ Dokic told Nine.
How much will tonight’s finalists earn?
This year’s prize money pool for the grand slam went up by almost 12 per cent to $96.5million.
Whoever wins tonight will pocket $3.5million, with the runner-up getting a $1.9million boost to their bank account.
Revealed: The easy-to-miss change that rocketed Madison Keys into the Australian Open final
Madison Keys has borrowed a very effective ploy from the Roger Federer playbook to be on the brink of an improbable Australian Open finals triumph.
Last year was shocker for the American, with Keys forced to quit with a hamstring injury while leading eventual runner-up Jasmine Paolini 5-2 in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
She also missed the Paris Olympics and crashed out in the third round back in New York at the US Open.
So Keys, at the behest of her coach and husband Bjorn Frantangelo, figured something had to change.
Just as Federer changed to a bigger racquet head before conquering great rival Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Australian Open final, Keys made a bold equipment change before the summer.
The 2017 US Open runner-up switched from Wilson to Yonex – and the results have been incredible.
Keys is unbeaten in 2025, following up her march to the Adelaide International title with six straights wins at Melbourne Park to make the final.
Why Aussie fans have been branded ‘ugly’ and ‘a disgrace’ over shocking Australian Open moment
Lleyton Hewitt meets movie royalty behind the scenes at the Open
Superstar Jackie Chan has caught up with the Aussie tennis great after being mobbed by fans at Melbourne Park when he was greeted by performers in dragon costumes earlier in the day. Chan also had a chat with men’s singles finalist Alexander Zverev near the players’ gym.
How Keys made it to the final
Career win-loss record: 397-220
Grand slam win-loss record: 115-45
Australian Open win-loss record: 30-12
Best Australian Open results: finalist 2024; semi-finalist 2015, 2022
Thanks for joining Daily Mail Australia’s live blog of the women’s singles final from Melbourne Park.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest news, opinion and best moments as Aryna Sabalenka tries to make it a hat-trick of Australian Open titles.
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