Madison Keys’ Australian Open title defence came to an end on Monday after she was beaten by Jessica Pegula.
Pegula overcame her fellow American and close friend 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round at Rod Laver Arena.
The sixth seed dominated from the outset, racing to a 4-1 advantage in the opening set before wrapping it up in just 32 minutes.
Pegula maintained her momentum by breaking Keys’ serve at the start of the second set, building another 4-1 lead as the defending champion struggled with her delivery.
The contest concluded when Keys sent a forehand into the net after 79 minutes of play.
This marks Pegula’s fourth Melbourne quarter-final appearance, having previously reached the last eight in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Beyond the on-court rivalry, the match carried additional stakes for the two podcast partners, as the players co-host The Player’s Box alongside Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, with the pair agreeing that whoever lost would face a forfeit chosen by the winner.
Had Keys triumphed, Pegula would have been forced to wear a Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift Kansas City Chiefs jersey, a particularly painful prospect given her family’s ownership of the Buffalo Bills.
Madison Keys’ Australian Open title defence came to an end on Monday after she was beaten by Jessica Pegula
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REUTERS
Instead, Keys will now have to eat an apple pie topped with melted cheddar cheese, a Thanksgiving tradition in the Pegula household.
Pegula said: “That was bad. She was, like, ‘Mine’s worse’. I was, like, ‘What are you talking about? My family owns the Bills. This team has owned us in the post-season’.
“All she has to do is eat a piece of pie. What is the big deal? I think that was really some extra motivation, because that would have been a tough moment for me.”
The pie in question is the Pegula family’s Thanksgiving tradition of apple pie with melted cheddar cheese on top.
Keys will now have to eat an apple pie topped with melted cheddar cheese, a Thanksgiving tradition in the Pegula household
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REUTERS
Keys said: “A bet is a bet, so I’ll do it. I hope it’s less gross than I think it’s going to be, but we will find out, I guess.”
Despite the disappointment of her early exit, Keys reflected positively on her fortnight in Melbourne.
She said: “It’s obviously not the way that I wanted things to end here, but I’m still really proud of myself.
“I think coming back, being defending champion, dealing with all of the extra pressure and nerves, I’m just really proud of myself for how I handled it. Just one of those days where I feel like Jess beat me, and I can kind of walk away with my head held high.”
Pegula overcame her fellow American and close friend 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round at Rod Laver Arena
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REUTERS
Keys and her podcast crew will now be supporting Pegula, with the 31-year-old through to a fourth quarter-final in Melbourne and looking to go further for the first time.
She added: “I’m not going to say anything, because the last time we told Jess that she was going to do well, she didn’t do well, so she told us that we’re all banned from saying anything.
“I don’t think she needs any sort of pep talk from me. I think she’s very sure of her game and how she’s playing. We’ll just be cheering her on.”
Pegula is yet to drop a set and could not be happier with her form, saying: “I have always been the type of player where I get frustrated when I feel like I’m not getting better. I’ve already had a lot of really great results. Being 31, I still feel like I’m improving as a player. So that is what gets me the most excited.”
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Half of the quarter-finalists are American, and Pegula will face another countrywoman next in Amanda Anisimova, whose bid for a third straight slam final continued with a 7-6 (4) 6-4 victory over Wang Xinyu.
Pegula said: “At least one of us will get through, and I think that’s great for American tennis.
“It’s been pretty crazy how well the women have been doing and how many top-ranked girls there are. I’m just happy to be a part of that conversation.”
Fifth seed Elena Rybakina is through to her first grand slam quarter-final since Wimbledon 2024 after thumping Elise Mertens 6-1 6-3.
