Madison Keys and Taylor Townsend Bring Home Australian Open Titles, Proving That It's NEVER Too Late

Madison Keys (singles)  and Taylor Townsend (doubles) defied the odds and brought home Australian Open hardware yesterday.

This was Madison Keys’s (29) first Grand Slam title, making her the second oldest pro to win their first Grand Slam behind 33-year-old Flavia Pennetta, who won her first major title in 2015. No American has been older at the time of their first singles Grand Slam win. To accomplish this feat, she bested both the world No. 1 and world No. 2.

2 Keys turned pro in 2009 on her 14th birthday. In her 16-year professional career, she has made it to numerous 3rd rounds, semifinals, and finals. She’s beaten her idols like Venus Williams and others, but hasn’t walked away with the title until now.

She’s overcome injuries and stayed the course even though things didn’t always go her way. Her willingness to keep going, keep pushing, and keep believing in herself is admirable!

Do you think that this title felt less good because of her age? Do you think she’s at home wishing it happened sooner? Or does she have the mindset that all her hard work and tenacity finally paid off? Is she basking in that feeling of relief because she never gave up on herself? We hope so. You know what else we hope? We hope that no matter where you are on your journey or however long it’s taking for your dream to be reality you’re not giving up on it because it’s not happening soon enough. Recognize that everything is happening when it is supposed to. Everything is right on time.

Taylor Townsend (28) became a mom 3 years ago and worked her way back into the circuit to bring home her second Grand Slam title in the past 6 months. (2024 Wimbledon was her first Grand Slam title) Most female athletes reach great heights before having a baby rarely do we see the highest feats happening after the fact. Taylor’s focus and determination on the court permeated through the screen and kept us all engaged.

We admire any mother who can prioritize their goals while showing up for their family. Let’s keep it real: many mothers, myself included, sometimes feel like our spark is dimming as our focus shifts. It’s easy to look at women who don’t have kids and think, “They can achieve that because they don’t have any added responsibilities.” Or “They have more help than me.” What it is — hear me out — those are all excuses and with willpower and tenacity, you can achieve what you desire regardless of your circumstances, regardless of your responsibilities, regardless of your age, or how many times you’ve tried.

Looking into both phenomenal women, a couple of details stuck out:

Madison changed coaches in 2023 and finally won a Grand Slam a year later.

Taylor has had excellent doubles partners, but once she partnered with No. 1 Kateřina Siniaková, she was able to reach her ultimate goals.

Sometimes, we outgrow coaches, mentors, and peers. Oftentimes, we are right on the cusp of what we want but may need a slight change to break through that ceiling. This applies to people, places and things.

Let this inspire you to go after what you want regardless of where you are; matter of fact, where you are is leading you to your greatest victory.