Madison Keys appeared destined for a Grand Slam trophy. Sixteen years later on a breezy night in Melbourne, she held it in her hands.

Be brave. Go for it. Those were the mantras Madison Keys turned to as she confronted the most significant points of her tennis career, trapped in the cauldron of a third set that was tied at 5-all, 30-all in the Australian Open final against two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.

The American tennis player, 29, secured her first grand slam title on Jan. 25, achieving a breakthrough win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who was vying for what would have been a historic three-peat. The women's singles match at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena saw Keys win 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.