Madison Keys admitted to feeling “very nervous” as she kicked off her title defense with a shaky win on Tuesday at the Australian Open, while French fan-favorite Gael Monfils played his final match in a battling defeat.
The ninth-seeded American struggled early, losing the first four games against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova before recovering to secure a 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
“I’ve been thinking about this moment for basically a year,” Keys said after the match. “I’m so happy to be back in Melbourne. Obviously I was very nervous at the start.”
Keys stunned Aryna Sabalenka last year in a thrilling three-set final to capture her first major at 29. However, she failed to claim another title in 2025, opening the season with quarter-final exits in Brisbane and Adelaide. The weight of expectation as defending champion showed against Oliynykova, but Keys ultimately found her rhythm in the second set.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Indonesian sensation Janice Tjen made history by becoming the first Indonesian to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years. Unseeded Tjen defeated Canada’s 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) to reach the second round. The 19-year-old’s rise has been rapid, climbing from world number 413 last year to 59 currently, echoing Yayuk Basuki’s milestone from 1998.
Fifth-seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan also advanced, defeating Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-4, 6-3, maintaining her status as one of the tournament’s top contenders.
Two-time former champion Naomi Osaka, seeded 16th, is featured in the final match of the day on center court against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. The 28-year-old Japanese star continues to struggle with regaining the form and fitness that propelled her to Australian Open titles in 2019 and 2021.
In the men’s draw, Italy’s Jannik Sinner begins his bid for a Melbourne hat-trick, aiming to add to his growing reputation as one of the sport’s brightest young stars.
As the tournament progresses, early surprises and historic moments are already shaping the narrative, setting the stage for a compelling fortnight of tennis.
