Australian Open witnesses a new champion

The first player has failed to successfully defend their title at the year's first Grand Slam.

Madison Keys has officially become a former women's singles champion Australian Open 2026 after being eliminated in the fourth round by fellow countrywoman Jessica Pegula in the match held on the morning of January 26th, Vietnam time. Pegula delivered an impressive performance to secure a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory, marking her fourth career quarterfinal appearance at the year's first Grand Slam.

Entering the match at Rod Laver Arena, Keys – the 9th seed and defending champion – was expected to continue her title defense. However, she quickly struggled against Pegula’s aggressive, fast-paced, and consistent playing style. Right at the start of the first set, billionaire Terry Pegula’s daughter confidently took consecutive breaks to lead 3-0, gaining a significant psychological advantage.

The mounting pressure caused Keys to make unnecessary errors, including an unbelievable "blind" smash in the sixth game. Despite her efforts to fight back and regain a break, the defending women's singles champion could not turn the tide and conceded the first set 3-6.

In the second set, Keys played with more determination, actively increasing the pace of rallies to pressure her opponent. However, instability at critical moments continued to cost her dearly. In her first service game of the set, the 30-year-old lost her serve, forcing her to chase Pegula for the remainder of the set.

Under growing pressure from her compatriot, Pegula demonstrated resilience and match experience. She held her service games firmly and successfully defended against rare break opportunities from Keys to close out the match in two sets, officially ending her close friend’s title defense journey.

This means there will be a new women's singles champion at the Australian Open. The top contenders at this year's "Happy Slam" include current world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina.

In other categories, the defending champions Jannik Sinner (men's singles), Harri Heliovaara/Henry Patten (men's doubles), Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend (women's doubles), and Olivia Gadecki/John Peers (mixed doubles) are still continuing their campaigns.