Madison Keys credits therapy for unlocking her potential as grand slam winner

Madison Keys credited lots of therapy for the mental unburdening that allowed her to realise a lifelong dream of winning a first grand slam title.

The American ended Aryna Sabalenka’s hopes of a third straight Australian Open title, seizing her moment to claim a 6-3 2-6 7-5 victory on Rod Laver Arena.

In the Open era, only Flavia Pennetta, Ann Jones and Francesca Schiavone have won maiden grand slam titles later into their career than 29-year-old Keys, who covered her face with her hands in delight and disbelief after sending a final forehand winner fizzing past Sabalenka.

It was not supposed to be this way for the power hitter who turned professional aged 14 having been tipped for greatness at an even younger age.

After crying in the arms of husband Bjorn Fratangelo, who agreed to become her coach last year, Keys thanked her team for believing in her “when I didn’t believe in myself”.

She added later in her press conference: “I think everything happens for a reason. I think, for me specifically, I had to go through some tough things.

“From a pretty young age, I felt like if I never won a grand slam then I wouldn’t have lived up to what people thought I should have been. That was a pretty heavy burden to carry around.

“So I finally got to the point where I was proud of myself and proud of my career, with or without a grand slam. I finally got to the point where I was OK if it didn’t happen.

“I feel like finally letting go of that internal talk that I had just gave me the ability to actually go out and play some really good tennis to actually win a grand slam.”

Keys reached her first slam semi-final a decade ago in Melbourne as a teenager and went one better at the US Open in 2017 only to be overcome by nerves and win