If Madison Keys was not nervous enough about starting her Australian Open title defence, facing an unknown opponent only added to the tension.
The 30-year-old American had a fairytale run in Melbourne 12 months ago, culminating in her lifting the first Grand Slam trophy of her career.
However, she made an edgy start to her title defence on Tuesday, losing the first four games to Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova.
Keys said afterwards she had struggled to find footage of her opponent to help her prepare, with Oliynykova’s defensive play style not matching up well with her big-hitting game.
But the ninth seed eventually settled down to clinch a 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 victory over the Ukrainian.
“I’ve been thinking about this moment for basically a year,” said Keys.
“The moment they say, ‘Ready, play’, it all hits you in a way that I don’t think you can ever really explain.
“As nerve-racking and stressful as that can be, I’m still reminding myself of just how few people get to be in that moment.
“Being able to walk out today and have the crowd be as welcoming as they were, I’ll take the stress any day.”
Keys did not win another title following her major triumph in 2025, and began this season with quarter-final losses in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Contesting her 50th Grand Slam tournament, Keys took far longer to relax than 92nd-ranked Oliynykova and served three double faults in losing her first service game.
However, from 4-0 down, Keys rallied to force a tie-break, and came back from a 5-2 deficit in that to clinch the opener.
Keys then blazed through the second set in 28 minutes to set up a second-round meeting with compatriot Ashlyn Krueger.
“At the start I felt I was playing a little timid and not really trusting my first instinct,” Keys said.
“I kept changing my mind on what I actually wanted to do. I was reacting instead of having a plan.”
Oliynykova had tiny flowers drawn on her face as she faced a top-50 player for the first time.
After giving the reigning champion a scare in the biggest match of her career to date, the 25-year-old said it was “the best experience in my career” and “something I’ll remember until the end of my life”.
Born in Ukrainian capital Kyiv, she she she was motivated to make her father proud while he serves in the country’s military.
“I know it was his dream to see me on this court,” she said.
“I will do everything to make him even more proud. I made his dream come true.”
Oliynykova has continued to train in her homeland since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022 – and the conflict remains a reality of her everyday life.
Speaking about an incident just before flying to Australia, Oliynykova said: “There was an explosion just near my home and a drone hit the home just across the road.
“My apartment was literally shaking because of the explosion.”
