Madison Keys tops Alison Riske for Adelaide WTA title

"I am just really enjoying tennis again and trying to not act as if every match is the last match that I'll ever play in my life," she explained earlier in the week. "I was getting really caught up in what my ranking meant and winning and losing. All of a sudden it was like this number next to my name meant more about me than literally anything else in the world. I just got way too in all of that."

The American champion started her Adelaide campaign with a convincing upset of No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina, and later went three sets to knock off No. 8 seed Ludmilla Samsonova in the quarters and No. 3 Coco Gauff in the semis. The semifinal against Gauff was her toughest match of the week, as she fought back from a set down for a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory. 

It was more straightforward in the final, where Keys set the tone early with a forehand winner to secure an early break. Riske saved three set points in the final game of the opening stanza, but Keys eventually found a big serve to close it out.

In set two, Keys fired back-to-back groundstroke winners—one off each wing—to break at love in the opening game. Riske hung in to close to 2-3, but Keys rattled off the final three games to seal the title, including another unreturned serve on match point. The pair shared a hug at the net following the contest.

"I'm really happy with how today went," Keys assessed. "I think I started really well and just had the momentum. There were a couple of opportunities where momentum could have switched, and I think I did a really good job of just regrouping and continuing to focus on my side of the court. Really happy to get a win."