On a warm Brisbane evening, under the kind of electric tension that only tennis can create, Madison Keys and Diana Shnaider delivered nearly three hours (2 hours 57 minutes) of pulsating drama. Momentum swings, medical time-outs, grimaces of pain, and three tiebreaks kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

Although Keys managed to dictate her first match in this tournament, it took her three sets to beat Diana Shnaider in the next.

There was a moment in this epic battle when fans saw Madison Keys receiving treatment after winning the second set. Shortly after that, she once again called for medical attention. With the Australian Open around the corner, everyone inside the stadium looked a bit concerned seeing her struggle in this match. Even her opponent was seen having some physical issues (most probably an upper arm/elbow issue), which forced her to take an MTO as well.

But both these players gave it all on the court. From the first ball, Shnaider looked sharp. Confident footwork, fearless striking, and a refusal to be intimidated by a Grand Slam champion set the tone.

The 6(5)-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) victory earns Madison Keys a QF showdown with none other than the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka – the defending champion at the Brisbane International and also the opponent she defeated in the 2025 AO final to secure her first Grand Slam triumph.

Sabalenka has also been in red-hot form recently. After thrashing Spain’s Cristina Bucsa by 6-0, 6-1 in her first match, she took down Romania’s Sorana Cirstea by 6-3, 6-3 in the R16. The Tigress looks calm and composed ahead of the blockbuster QF clash.

“I wasn’t focusing on warning anyone for the season. I was just trying to show my level. I did it well, and if someone got scared because of that, I’ll be happy to see players giving up, but that’s not going to happen, unfortunately. But [I’m] just super happy with the level I was able to show today.”

Can Madison Keys stop Aryna Sabalenka in the next match, or are we going to see the Belarusian taking revenge on the Australian soil? Time will tell! But Keys has already set some goals for the 2026 season.

Madison Keys shares her goals for the 2026 season

Last year, Madison Keys had a stellar start to her season, winning titles in Adelaide and Melbourne. But unfortunately for the 30-year-old American, the season didn’t quite end the way she would’ve wanted. Hence, Keys has walked into 2026 with a quiet confidence, which is shaped not only by the glow of her maiden Grand Slam triumph last January but also by the lessons she carried from the rest of a turbulent year.

So, when the American arrived in Australia, she came with a motive to win and assert her dominance once again. And then, Keys won her first match at the 2026 Brisbane International by 6-4, 6-3 against McCartney Kessler. Following that impressive win, the 2025 AO champion said it’s always a “little nerve-wracking” playing the first match of the year.

There will be pressure when she lands in Melbourne, and she knows it. But interestingly, this time, with the same calm composure that carried her through the tricky early rounds of Melbourne a year ago, Keys explained that her focus this season goes beyond results. It isn’t about winning a particular title or fixing a ranking number. Instead, it’s more about pushing her boundaries, even when it feels uncomfortable. After winning her first match in Brisbane, Keys mentioned that she looks forward to taking on more challenging tasks.

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“I think that I have really been trying to focus on trying to get to the net a little bit more, and I think my biggest goal, not only for here but really just for the entire year, is to do the things that kind of make me uncomfortable on the court. I think sometimes, especially if I get nervous or it’s in tight moments, I kind of fall back on being a little bit more comfortable, which I think sometimes actually gets me in trouble. So I think continuing to try to do the things that I have been working on in practice in matches in the big moments is probably my biggest goal of the year.”

Madison Keys is not chasing perfection; she’s chasing habits that will allow her to trust herself when it matters most. Moving forward, it will be fascinating to see how this mindset shapes her season. How many titles do you see her winning this year, though?