Madison Keys admitted she felt nervous as she began her Australian Open title defence, made harder by facing an unfamiliar opponent.
The 30-year-old American, who won her first Grand Slam in Melbourne last year, started shakily on Tuesday and lost the first four games against debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova.
Keys said it was difficult to prepare because there was little footage of her opponent, whose defensive style disrupted her powerful game. Despite the slow start, the ninth seed recovered to win 7-6 (8-6) 6-1.
“I’ve been thinking about this moment for a year,” Keys said, explaining how pressure and nerves hit once the match began.
Playing in her 50th Grand Slam, Keys took time to settle and even lost her first service game with three double faults. But she fought back from 4-0 down, won a tight tie-break, then dominated the second set in just 28 minutes.
Keys, who has not won another title since her 2025 triumph, will now face fellow American Ashlyn Krueger in the second round.
