Key posts
Jackie Chan, dragon dancers hit Melbourne Park
Check out these brilliant pictures as movie star Jackie Chan joined Chinese cultural celebrations the festivities which including dragon dancing on Saturday.
Action movie star Jackie Chan (left) takes in Melbourne’s Chinese dragon dancers.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Melbournes Chinese dragon dancers at the 2025 Australian Open.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Jackie Chan at the Australian Open on Saturday.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Watch: Sabalenka just getting started
Racquet change gives Madison the Keys to Open glory
Madison Keys has borrowed a daring ploy from the Roger Federer playbook to be on the brink of an improbable Australian Open finals triumph.
Contesting just her second grand slam singles final, Keys will take on top-ranked two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka for the title at Melbourne Park on Saturday night.
Madison Keys in action.Credit: Eddie Jim
Few are giving the 29-year-old a hope of upsetting the world No.1.
Even Keys, a former junior prodigy who arrived on the pro scene at 14, feared her best opportunities of capturing a grand slam crown may have been behind her following a heartbreaking US Open semi-final loss to Sabalenka in 2023.
The American won the opening set 6-0 but lost in a third-set tiebreaker after serving for the match.
“I would be lying if I said that there wasn’t doubts,” Keys recalled after saving a match point against world No.2 Iga Swiatek in Thursday night’s semi-finals.
“That felt like such a huge moment. I felt like I was so close. To be that close and to lose it was just so heartbreaking.
“I felt like I’d really left it all out there. That’s really all you can ask. But at the end of the day, it’s still such a tough one to have to go home on.
“So that one took a little while to kind of heal from and get past.”
Last year was a despairing one too, 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.
Hence why Keys, at the behest of her coach and husband Bjorn Frantangelo, figured something had to change.
So, 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.
“The big focus for me this off-season was really just kind of buying into ‘I’ll try anything, I’ll do anything, I’ll be open’. I’m open to any and all changes. Let’s just really go for it,” said the world No.14.
“Obviously I’m at the later point of my career. It just kind of felt like, ‘Why not?’
“However many more years I have, be willing to adapt and be a little bit more open to change.”
Keys admits she knew very little about racquets and string tension before her husband convinced her to switch it up.
The move has proven a game – and potentially a life – changer if she wins the Open.
“I feel like I’m able to kind of go for things a little bit more, but have the ability to be able to control them a little bit more,” Keys said.
“One of the big things is, especially on the days where I’m not really feeling things, I felt like I have the ability to kind of manipulate things with my racquet and my hands and kind of have a little bit more safety.
“I was kind of struggling with that before.
“I definitely think it’s obviously been a huge benefit for me and has brought a lot more to my game.”
AAP
Italians angry about Djoker’s support for Zverev
By Selma Milovanovic
The Italian Tennis Federation reckons Novak Djokovic showed “a great lack of style” by saying he would support his semi-final opponent Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open’s men’s final after his shock withdrawal due to injury.
Federation chief Angelo Binaghi said Djokovic’s move was unedifying, especially as aimed against the other finalist, Italian Jannik Sinner, whom Binaghi described as “an exemplary guy”.
Alexander Zverev (in red) and Novak Djokovic (in blue) hug after Djokovic retired from their semi final.Credit: Eddie Jim
“His [Djokovic’s] post-match statements do not honur him,” Binaghi told Italian outlet Supertennis.
But Sinner himself wasn’t worried, saying he knew that Djokovic and Zverev have been friends for years.
“There is no malice towards me, so it’s all good,” Sinner said. “I know Zverev has had other chances to win, anything can happen on Sunday. I just focus on giving my best.”
World No.1 and defending champion Sinner is hoping to seal a back-to-back victory in the men’s final.
Good evening
G’day everyone and welcome to our Australian Open women’s final live blog as we count down to the big match.
Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys will square off to decide who wins this year’s title with play due to start just after 7.30pm AEDT.
Please follow along for all the major moments and post match reactions.
Enjoy the hours to come.
