Keys made a stunning start to the contest, managing a break in the very first game of the match before breaking the defending champion two more times in the first set.
The match was reminiscent of their last major tussle in the semi-final of the 2023 US Open where Sabalenka bounced back from a first-set bagel to deny Keys a spot in her second Grand Slam final.
The US star would have had flashbacks from that match as Sabalenka broke her serve in the third game of the second set to go 2-1 up.
Sabalenka got the double break in the fifth game as she played with increased confidence and more accuracy to send the match into the deciding third set.
The third was an engrossing duel with players producing outstanding tennis and neither gaining a decisive advantage.
Keys finallty found a way past Sabalenka’s defences to clinch the decider 7-5 before clutching her head in disbelief.
The surprise winner shared an emotional hug with husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo.
After an injury-hit 2024, she decided to switch racket manufacturers in the off season.
And the gutsy move paid off.
The victory comes a decade after Keys burst onto the international tennis scene reaching the Australian Open semi-finals when she was just 19 years old.
In her only other Grand Slam final, Keys suffered a crushing 6-3, 6-0 defeat to friend Sloane Stephens at the 2017 US Open.
