Madison Keys Survives Opening Scare in AO Title Defence

Oleksandra Oliynykova is a name Madison Keys had little reason to register before her Australian Open title defence began on Tuesday. Having survived an almighty early scare against the unorthodox Ukrainian at Rod Laver Arena, it is a name she is unlikely to forget in a hurry. MORE: All the scores from AO 2026 For all the mental and physical preparation the ninth seed put in place leading up to this moment, there was no escaping the tension that came with that first match back as a reigning Grand Slam champion. It was uncharted territory for the American following her dazzling run to the title 12 months ago, a nerve-racking experience from which she progresses with a 7-6(6) 6-1 first-round win. “I have been thinking of that moment for basically a year,” Keys said. “It was incredible to walk out for the first time since walking off of the court a year ago. “So, so happy to be back in Melbourne. Obviously very nervous at the start, but just so happy to be back and I love playing here. “I was actually talking to Lindsay Davenport yesterday and she reminded me that not many people get to be a defending champion at a Grand Slam. So just trying to embrace it and enjoy it and as nervous as I was at the start, I'm really glad to be back and that I got through that match.” The 25-year-old Oliynykova, who competed sporting dozens of tiny flower freckle stick-on tattoos covering her face, was the ultimate underdog, a nightmare opponent for a player of Keys’ ilk who typically thrives on pace and rhythm. Scrambling and sole-screeching across the court, Oliynykova frequently sent up moon balls that all but cleared the roof as her pace-sapping variety had Keys completely flummoxed through the first four games. Not only was it Oliynykova’s Grand Slam debut, but also her first tour-level match. She had not played since an ITF event in Ecuador in early December and not on a hard court since a first-round qualifying exit at Flushing Meadows to Australia’s Lizette Cabrera last August. Even so, it didn't show. “My opponent today was incredible,” Keys said. “She started so well, and she's such a great competitor and definitely made it tricky for me… It's definitely not the typical style that you see every day, which I think makes it a little bit trickier, but just the changes of pace with the higher balls and the slice and she's also super fast and got to a lot of balls. “So [it] really made me work myself out on the other side of the net today, which I was able to do and then I think at the end, I was just really able to trust myself and take a step back, but then just go for my shots.” Where Oliynykova’s courtside box sat empty, Keys’ was full, including her coach and husband Bjorn Fratangelo calming her cause. Their words of encouragement eased some of the jitters and she reeled off five straight games to sway momentum in her favour for the first time. Fratangelo urged his wife to swing freely for her shots, but that was no mean feat when it seemed that nerves and her opponent’s play made her arm feel like it weighed a tonne. Not since Jennifer Capriati in 2003 had a defending Australian Open women's champion succumbed in their opening match the following year. After two set points slipped through Oliynykova’s grasp, the American snuck a chaotic first set after 72 minutes and put her foot down to pull clear in a one-sided second set to keep Capriati’s statistic intact. First obstacle cleared, nerves frayed and settled, it set a second-round meeting with Ashlyn Krueger. That first-time Slam title defence is up and running.