LAWRENCE, Kan. — Inbound that ball successfully, and Kansas is well on its way to a victory.

This is with about seven seconds remaining in the first overtime period Saturday, at home against Houston. This is with the Jayhawks leading 79-76, and the Cougars trying desperately to complete a late comeback without any sizable margin for error.

And then not only did Houston’s pressure force a turnover, as KU guard Zeke Mayo failed to complete a pass to one of his teammates, but the Cougars quickly pounced on the late change in possession and hit a 3-point shot that tied the score at 79-79 to send the game to double overtime.

It wasn’t the only time No. 11 Kansas had an opportunity to close out a win inside Allen Fieldhouse against No. 5 Houston. The Jayhawks also led in the final minute of regulation, too, before turning the ball over and later watching the Cougars tie the score at 66-66 to force overtime. But given the chance to make up for not making the necessary plays at the end of the second half, Kansas came up short again and went on to lose 92-86.

“It’s like a gut punch, and it feels terrible,” Kansas center Hunter Dickinson said. “It feels like we just went to battle for however long, however many minutes we were out there, and just — we did everything we were supposed to do to win but just in the end didn’t make the right plays to finish it out.”

Kansas finished the game with 12 turnovers. Houston scored 17 points off of them, and the Cougars only allowed eight points off of their five turnovers. The Jayhawks ended up shooting 17-for-30 on free throws, 56.7%, as they failed to take advantage of their visitor shooting 14-for-25, 56%, from the free-throw line. Execute in the way Kansas has shown itself capable of, and coach Bill Self’s squad is the one that’s celebrating a victory Saturday.

Instead, Kansas (14-5, 5-3 in Big 12), again without forward KJ Adams due to injury, finds itself in a more than just challenging situation when it comes to the Big 12 Conference race. Houston (16-3, 8-0 in Big 12) is a full three games clear of the Jayhawks. This was an opportunity to make up ground on the Cougars, and it was squandered.

For the second time this season, Kansas lost a game at home that it had its chances to win. This one, because of the way it ended, likely will sting that much more. While the Jayhawks can boast of a roster with so much talent, and so much experience, that combined with the crowd inside Allen Fieldhouse wasn’t enough against a Houston team that has the same kind of aspirations this season the Jayhawks do.

“I feel like the way they pressured the ball, the way they guarded it, just — we didn’t get open in time,” KU guard Rylan Griffen said, assessing why his Jayhawks struggled with some inbounds situations against Houston.

“And that’s really what happened right there.”

Houston vs. Kansas highlights

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on X at @JordanGuskey.

As much as this roll to the NFC Championship Game by the Washington Commanders has been fueled by the best rookie quarterback we’ve ever seen, Jayden Daniels, I couldn’t help but notice some of the so-called “old heads” living it up in the festive visitors’ locker room at Ford Field on Saturday night.

There was Zach Ertz, the 34-year-old tight end who many might have figured was close to the end last season, when he missed the final 10 games for the Arizona Cardinals with a quad strain and posted a career-low 27 catches. The year before that, his season ended with torn knee ligaments.

Now Ertz is headed back to Philadelphia, where his records as the most-prolific tight end in Eagles history still stand.

Now Ekeler, who had 88 rushing-receiver yards in the divisional playoff win at Detroit, is poised to play in a conference title match for the first time.

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Then there’s Bobby Wagner. His presence is striking in another sense.

During his second NFL season with the Seattle Seahawks, Wagner won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the vaunted defense led by its “Legion of Boom” secondary. The next year, they went back to the Super Bowl and were positioned to win … until Russell Wilson’s last-minute, goal-line pick.

In the decade since, Wagner, 34, hasn’t sniffed the Super Bowl. Until now.

Wagner went to the playoffs five times during his final seven season with the Seahawks and never got past the divisional round. That’s one reason why in his 14th NFL season, the grizzled vet is savoring this new deal.

“It just means a lot,” Wagner told USA TODAY Sports. “When I first got in the league, we made it to the Super Bowl my second year, again in my third year, and then we hadn’t been back to the NFC Championship Game. So you appreciate these moments a little bit different now, knowing how hard they are to get to.”

Wagner is undoubtedly a huge key to Washington’s formula to spring an upset and become just the third sixth-seed to advance to a Super Bowl. The middle linebacker led the Commanders with 132 tackles during the regular season, but this unit is a far cry from the dominance of those old Seahawks Super Bowl defenses that, incidentally, were coordinated by Washington coach Dan Quinn.

The Commanders tied for the NFL’s fourth-worst run defense during the regular season. And now comes the challenge of handling Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. During his 2,000-yard season, Barkley went for 146 and 150 yards against the Commanders.

“You just try to contain him,” Wagner told reporters at Commanders headquarters this week, mindful that Barkley’s ability to break off a long-distance run at any time is enabled when defenders get out of their gaps. “This is going to be a game of discipline.”

I asked Wagner, whose Hall of Fame-credentialed career includes 11 All-Pro selections, to compare the Commanders to his old Seahawks team. Like Washington, there was a young quarterback in Wilson, who was in the same Seattle draft class with Wagner in 2012. And youth was served across the board, with the likes of Richard Sherman (2011, fifth round), Earl Thomas (2010, first round) and Kam Chancellor (2010, fifth round).

‘If I were to compare it to those teams, the biggest thing is how close we are,” Wagner said. “Our team in Seattle might have been a little smarter, but what made us so good was how close we were.”

Ekeler won’t dispute that. He pointed out that, on top of new GM Adam Peters, Quinn and a staff of new coaches, there were 60 new players on the 90-man roster when the team began offseason workouts last spring. To develop a bond, they were intentional about spending time together away from the field.

“I think it’s a staple of our brotherhood, and the talent we have, too,” Ekeler told USA TODAY Sports. “A lot of people came together who were new to the area. You really can’t measure the way we’ve connected.

“And then you throw in 5 having a crazy year as a rookie,” he added, referring to Daniels, “and it kind of puts a cherry on top.”

Follow Jarrett Bell on X: @JarrettBell

The Dallas Cowboys have settled on the 10th head coach in their 65-year history and – in something of an upset, which is all too familiar in a different sense to his family’s football lineage – Brian Schottenheimer has been tabbed as the new leader (sort of) for “America’s Team.”

Schottenheimer wasn’t viewed as a leading candidate when this job opened last week. To be clear, he comes with extensive experience, patrolling NFL sidelines in various capacities since 1997, minus a few brief gigs in the college ranks. He’s worked on Dallas’ staff the past three seasons and served as the offensive coordinator since 2023.

That doesn’t necessarily mean this is a total slam dunk of a promotional hire for the Cowboys, who made the announcement late Friday night (well off the league’s typical news cycle), but it definitely lends itself to some winners and losers:

WINNERS

Dak Prescott

Continuity was important to the Dallas quarterback, who’s set to enter his 10th season after a blown hamstring cut his ninth short. But Prescott’s best year in the NFL occurred in 2023, when he led the league with 36 touchdown passes and was the runner-up for MVP. Former coach Mike McCarthy was calling the plays then, but Schottenheimer had a front-row seat to what worked so well. The goal moving forward will clearly be to get the QB back at that level of production, which Prescott didn’t approach in 2024 even before going down for good in Week 9.

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Deion Sanders

A star cornerback when the Cowboys last won the Super Bowl 29 years ago, he was linked to the Dallas HC post almost from the moment McCarthy and the team opted for a mutual break-up after his contract expired. Yet for all the hype Sanders generates, he’s still a relatively inexperienced head coach, one who didn’t come close to winning the Pac-12 in 2023 nor the new-look (read: diminished) Big 12 in 2024. This isn’t to say Sanders might not be a strong candidate here eventually given his legendary background, sharp mind and understanding of the Dallas market – but the circumstances would need to be ideal given the numerous conditions he’s already placed on a potential jump to the NFL. They didn’t feel quite right at present, and that could have spelled disaster given the likelihood he and owner Jerry Jones – both known for headstrong personalities – would eventually collide at a time when Sanders might not be on a more level field as he continues to learn the ropes of the profession.

Ashton Jeanty?

Or maybe Rico Dowdle? Or fellow free agent Najee Harris? Or fellow free agent J.K. Dobbins? Or maybe UNC’s Omarion Hampton? The point being, Schottenheimer’s best offenses – and those that have been part of the most successful teams he’s coached for – have featured a strong ground game. Though the Cowboys, who pick 12th in Round 1 of the 2025 draft, have several needs, running back appears to be one, and that could be a logical spot to target Jeanty, the highly regarded former Boise State star and two-time All-American who led the country with 2,601 rushing yards in 2024. Regardless, expect the Cowboys, who ranked 27th rushing the ball in 2024 – and that was despite a strong finish from Dowdle, who’s a free agent himself – to put a much bigger emphasis on their ground attack under Schottenheimer.

The Schottenheimer legacy

Schottenheimer is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, whose 200 regular-season wins are the most in league history … for a coach who never won a championship (and was 5-13 in the playoffs). Despite more than 50 combined years as NFL coaches, neither Schottenheimer has served on a staff that even reached the Super Bowl.

But Brian now has an opportunity, if not completely golden, to remedy that. Positioned to complete the third decade of their infamous championship drought, the Cowboys will hardly be viewed as Super Bowl 60 favorites. Yet it’s rare for a rookie head coach to take the reins of a team with an established quarterback who’s still squarely in his prime and with star power at so many key positions. Dallas should only be a good draft and a few targeted moves in free agency from returning to relevance – and in a division that constantly changes hands and that the Cowboys have won two of the past four seasons. This ain’t exactly Barry Switzer taking over for Jimmy Johnson, but it’s still a heck of an opportunity for Schottenheimer, who hasn’t been an especially prominent candidate in the annual coaching cycle for quite some time.

Experienced coaches

Six of the league’s seven coaching vacancies have now been filled – four by men who are at least 49 years old, suggesting the NFL continues to move in a direction where experience and culture seem to be more valued than young, hotshot coordinators. Schottenheimer, 51, was hired the same day the Las Vegas Raiders settled on 73-year-old Pete Carroll.

Jerry Jones

Of course, the Cowboys are still his team. Now he’s installed a coach who will neither command top dollar nor has the juice (or likely stomach) to challenge Jones from running this franchise how he sees fit – which is just how he wants it – despite the decidedly mixed results that approach has produced for decades.

LOSERS

Jerry Jones

Perhaps elevating Schottenheimer will prove a stroke of genius for an 82-year-old owner desperate to win his fourth Lombardi Trophy – and without the assistance of Johnson’s mastery as a team builder and talent evaluator. But what is almost certain is that Jones is likely to get roasted by his widespread fan base for this move rather than re-signing McCarthy, who was quite popular in the locker room, or importing Bill Belichick or bringing back Kellen Moore, whose relationship with Prescott runs even deeper than Schottenheimer’s following their time together as teammates prior to Moore’s stint as Dallas’ OC (2019-22). And given how this “search” went down – from the failure to keep McCarthy, to the buzz generated by Sanders to … this – it’s hard to shake a feeling that this is a (very) temporary move preceding the next one.

Brian Schottenheimer’s legacy

Maybe he’ll get a fair shake, all of Jones’ coaches this century getting at least a three-year run. And while Schottenheimer has factors working in his favor, he’s going to have shakier job security than recently extended Prescott and will have to be deferential to Jones on football matters – and probably even staffing decisions, such as the possibility he’ll have to hire, say, legendary Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, a favorite of Jones’ who has no NFL experience as an assistant but has nevertheless remained front of mind here as a future candidate. It all shapes up as a very tough needle to thread for Schottenheimer in what may be his only HC shot.

Mike McCarthy

“Loser” is too strong a label given what a strong five-year run he had in North Texas plus the fact he decided to explore other pastures. But McCarthy didn’t get the Chicago Bears gig that Jones initially refused to let him interview for when Dallas had exclusive negotiating rights to him. Maybe McCarthy gets the call from the New Orleans Saints – the last remaining team with a vacancy – two decades after he was their offensive coordinator. Regardless, hard to see McCarthy finding a situation as good as the one he seemed to have in Big D.

CeeDee Lamb

Like Prescott, the perennial Pro Bowl receiver had his best professional campaign in 2023 and set several team records with Schottenheimer as the nominal offensive coordinator. But like Prescott, Lamb fell off – by his impressive standards – significantly in 2024, a shoulder injury that cut his season short by two games part of the problem. But moving forward, it’s worth wondering where Lamb’s numbers will settle. The 2023 Dallas offense was the only one in Schottenheimer’s 14 seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator that even ranked in the top 10 – and half of those clubs failed to crack the top 20. Schottenheimer was raised by a man who believed in running the ball and that was before working extensively for the likes of Rex Ryan, Jeff Fisher and Carroll, all avowed ground-and-pound advocates. That’s not to say Lamb can’t still be a superstar – and should be based on what Jones is paying him – but he may not enjoy nearly the target volume he became accustomed to under McCarthy.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

WrestleMania is approaching. But before the journey to it fully commences, WWE had Saturday Night’s Main Event as a starter for a monumental time of the year.

The second edition of the vintage show in as many months, Saturday Night’s Main Event was another opportunity for WWE to showcase its top stars to a national audience. Staying true to the show’s identity, three championship matches took place, and another bout between two of the dominating forces in the company ended in complete mayhem. Plus, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens faced off ahead of their rematch at the 2025 Royal Rumble.

Here is a recap of the highlights and analysis of Saturday Night’s Main Event:

World Heavyweight Championship match: Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso

Gunther has made it clear he has a strong distaste for Uso, and he showed the animosity with a quick attack on the challenger to start the match. The champion, in typical fashion, controlled the first half of the match, and even tried a powerbomb for an early win, but it didn’t work.

Uso got some blows as he tried to fight off the vicious offense from Gunther, and he finally got something going when he landed a kick on the champion. Uso decided it was time to go for a pin, which wasn’t successful, but that wouldn’t be all from the challenger. He landed a big-time powerbomb on the man that loves to use it, and both stars laid in the middle of the ring. When they both got up, Gunther tried the powerbomb but it was reversed with a spear from Uso. He went for the pin and Gunther just kicked out. Uso got another spear, climbed the turnbuckles for an Uso Splash and looked primed for the win. However, the crowd was stunned when Gunther kicked out.

Uso tried to go for a third spear, and that would be the mistake; Gunther didn’t fall for it, landed a powerbomb and did a second one for good measure. The champion got the pin to retain.

Analysis: Jey Uso was oh, so close. It’s felt like the OG Bloodline member is really inching closer toward becoming a world champion, and it really appeared it would happen on Saturday. The spear-to-Uso Splash combination really looked like it was it and was one of the best near-finishes in the early part of 2025. However, there’s a reason Gunther has spent most of his time in WWE as a champion − it takes so much to take him down.

Gunther retains his title and while it’s unlikely the men’s Royal Rumble winner challenges him at WrestleMania, he’ll still get a strong opponent to face in April, one who could possibly dethrone him. Could it be Uso? He certainly is starting to look more capable in the ring, and WrestleMania could finally be the time he reaches the mountain top. But nothing looks clear until the Royal Rumble is finished.

Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu

In the battle of heavyweights, it was Strowman that started off with the blows to Fatu. However, the ‘Samoan Werewolf’ isn’t someone that stays down for long, and he was doing his usual wild displays of athleticism. Even when Strowman would counter, Fatu wasn’t letting his opponent dominate. Strowman did his Strowman Express around the ring and took down Fatu, but when he went to do it again Fatu got up and threw Strowman on the table.

Strowman was clearly rattled, and Fatu went off with numerous hits to Strowman in the corner of the ring. It was so vicious, the referee ordered Fatu to stop. Fatu didn’t like that, and he threw the referee out of the ring as he continued the assault. The referee stopped the match, with Fatu disqualified. Security came out to stop Fatu, and he used a steel chair on the help that came as Strowman began to bleed from his head.

No matter how many people were in the ring, no one could stop Fatu from going off. He launched himself off the top rope onto Strowman. Tama Tonga even came out to try and stop his friend, but it was no use. Fatu ended up doing it two more times, and Strowman got medical attention for the unleashed attack.

Analysis: What a true monster Fatu is. No one has made Strowman look so helpless like Fatu did, and that’s quite the achievement. Fatu’s destruction and no regard for life was the right way for the match to end, but the continued attack well after the match was over was truly a sight to behold.

With Solo Sikoa no longer the true Tribal Chief, it’s been a mystery as to what direction the new Bloodline was going to go. So far, it looks like Fatu is out to prove he is someone capable of wreaking havoc on his own. If Tonga can’t stop him from his brutality, could Sikoa do it?

Contract signing for ladder match for Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens with Shawn Michaels as moderator

Whether it was Owens wearing a ‘Cody sucks eggs’ shirt or Rhodes eyeing down his rival from the top of the ladder as the crowd did his signature ‘woah,’ it was clear the heat is reaching a boiling point. Rhodes signed the contract for the match at Royal Rumble, and Owens was about to before he ranted about Rhodes’ claim he takes the easy way out. Owens went on and on before Rhodes told him to stop talking, yelling at him that it’s enough. Owens then claimed once he wins next week, he’s going to take all the attention away from Rhodes.

Michaels butted in and said Owens ‘sounds jealous,’ angering the challenger even more. Owens then went on a rant directed at the WWE Hall of Famer. Owens finally signed the contract to make the match official. Michaels had a referee take each of their titles to hang above the ring for the upcoming ladder match. Michaels tried to shake both of their hands, but Owens went for a cheap shot on the champion. He then tried to execute a package piledriver on the ‘Heartbreak Kid,’ but Rhodes prevented it with a hit. Furious, Michaels took his jacket off and gave Owens some Sweet Chin Music to end the scuffle.

Intercontinental Championship match: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sheamus

Described as an ‘unbelievable athlete’ by his opponent, Breakker quickly showed his rapid skills with a start that included some big blows. The champion took the challenger out of the ring, and the veteran Sheamus played it smart by getting Breakker over the barricade to slow down his momentum. Sheamus had the upper hand, but it didn’t last long after Breakker landed a vicious mid-air spear that was incredibly timed.

With Sheamus having clear pain in the midsection, Breakker went to work on the injured area. Sheamus still fought back − going with the Beats of the Bodhran and Celtic Cross − and avoided another spear by landing the Brogue Kick. Sheamus went for the pin. As the referee was about to hit three, the champion’s leg was on the ropes − preventing the loss.

Sheamus tried to go for another Brogue Kick, but the pain in his midsection was too much. He winced, and Breakker saw the opportunity to land a spear, go for the pin and retain the title.

Analysis: This is surely the surprise of the night. If there was any opportunity for Sheamus to finally capture the Intercontinental Championship, it was on Saturday night. He came incredibly close, but the young star got the best of the veteran.

Breakker continues to add wins against some established names on the roster, further proving he’s on a trajectory to eventually becoming a world champion. For Sheamus, you have to wonder if he’ll actually get another shot at the one title he hasn’t won in WWE. With two losses to Breakker, it’s tough to argue he should get a third chance, so he’ll either have to wait longer or accept it will be something he won’t capture.

Women’s World Heavyweight Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax

In a rematch of Elimination Chamber 2024, Jax wasted no time trying to get to her opponent, headbutting Ripley before Lilian Garcia could introduce the champion. Ripley quickly got to her feet and got some shots in as the two stars traded massive blows in quick succession.

Ripley showed off her strength with a power bomb off Jax and she tried to go for a submission, but it didn’t work. Jax tried to go for the Annihilator, but the champion wasn’t going to let it happen, getting Jax out of the ring and launching herself off the top rope. Quickly getting in the ring, Jax recovered and did land her finishing move. She didn’t go for the pin, instead trying to hit it again. Ripley was able to get Jax off the ropes and both stars were on the ground.

Ripley was the one to get back on her feet first. She landed a kick and executed the Riptide, planting Jax on the mat and getting the pin to retain her title.

Analysis: There wasn’t any chance Ripley was going to lose her title that quick, but she put on another powerful performance against Jax, and the two stars work quite well together in the ring. They both possess strength and the ability to execute massive maneuvers, and given the show is only two hours, Jax and Ripley were able to keep up a fast pace while making sure they each got to showcase their talent.

Now, Ripley will await who wins the Royal Rumble, and she’ll be the favorite to be challenged at WrestleMania. As for Jax, get ready for ‘The Irresistible Force’ to put up another incredible showing in the Rumble match.

Ted DiBiase in attendance

The ‘Million Dollar Man’ is in San Antonio as the WWE Hall of Famer emerged with his infamous Million Dollar Championship title.

English, Spanish commentary heard simultaneously to start

It might have been tough for WWE fans to listen to the start of Saturday Night’s Main Event as the English and Spanish commentary could be heard at the same time.

WWE commentator Joe Tessitore gave the introduction to the night, but it was tough to hear what he said since the Spanish announcer was also talking at the same time. Fans complained about the start on social media.

The issue lasted for about the first seven minutes of the show before viewers had just the English commentary.

When is Saturday Night’s Main Event?

Saturday Night’s Main Event is Saturday, Jan. 25 beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

How long will Saturday Night’s Main Event be?

It will be a two-hour event.

Where is Saturday Night’s Main Event?

The latest edition will take place at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

How to watch Saturday Night’s Main Event: TV channel, streaming

There are two ways to watch the event on Saturday. It can be watched on NBC or can be streamed on Peacock.

Saturday Night’s Main Event match card

Matches not in order

World Heavyweight Championship match: Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso
Women’s World Heavyweight Championship match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax
Intercontinental Championship match: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Sheamus
Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu
Contract signing for ladder match for Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens with Shawn Michaels as moderator

What is Saturday Night’s Main Event?

If there was an event that had WrestleMania-worthy matches not at WrestleMania and for a nationwide audience, it was Saturday Night’s Main Event.

As wrestling continued to grow across the country in the 1980s as WWE strengthened its position as the top company in the U.S., Saturday Night’s Main Event was a way to showcase the biggest stars, getting in the ring against each other.

Typically held on NBC, it allowed millions of people a rare opportunity to tune in to watch marquee matchups, and the show was a success — multiple showings took place from 1985-1992. After a hiatus, it returned in 2006 and a couple more shows took place over the next few years. It returned again in December 2024 and appears to be something WWE is going to try to hold continuously with the second edition of the return taking place in San Antonio.

Will Jesse Ventura be back for Saturday Night’s Main Event?

Expect ‘The Body’ to be back on the headset on Saturday night.

WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura will be back at the announcer’s table for the event. The former governor of Minnesota was a commentator for WWE after his wrestling career and was featured in the early editions of Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Sheamus ‘needs’ elusive WWE Intercontinental Championship 

Growing up in Ireland, one of the first memories Sheamus has of watching WWE is the Intercontinental Championship.

He remembered seeing ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage’s reign in the 1980s and all the people who held the title afterward. He saw it as ‘the worker’s title,’ with wrestlers consistently putting it on the line instead of only occasionally defending it. If he made it to WWE, he hoped he would be able to one day claim the championship.

Flash forward to 2025 and after a 15-year career filled with multiple championship reigns, the Intercontinental title is one the soon-to-be 47-year-old still is chasing. He’ll get one more opportunity to secure it when he challenges champion Bron Breakker at Saturday Night’s Main Event in San Antonio.

And he is as hungry as ever for it.

‘It’s something I need, and it’s something that I want,’ Sheamus told USA TODAY Sports.

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This time, though, the 19th-seeded Keys played brave and accurate tennis when she needed it most, powering to a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory for her first major title and denying Sabalenka her third straight Australian Open. 

For Keys, it was a complete 180 from her first Grand Slam final experience at the 2017 US Open when her game never really showed up and lost quickly to her friend Sloane Stephens. This time, Keys took charge early, played through some difficulties in the middle of the match and then held firm in the third with one clutch shot after another before finally breaking Sabalenka’s serve to claim the trophy. 

‘I have wanted this for so long, and I have been in one other Grand Slam final and it didn’t go my way. I didn’t know if I would ever get back in this position and my team believed in me every step of the way,’ Keys said through tears as she lifted the trophy. ‘They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Last year was so tough with some really bad injuries and I didn’t know if I’d be able to do it again but to be here and have this trophy, I love you all so much. I’m so appreciative to every person who helped me to continue to believe in myself and push me to achieve this dream.’

What happened

Keys got off to as strong of a start as she could ever hope for, striping returns that unsettled Sabalenka, finding corners with the forehand and striking the ball purely down the line with her backhand. She also made 86 percent of her first serves, taking a lot of pressure off the rest of her game. It added up to a 5-1 lead for Keys, but by the end of the first set a few more ground strokes started to miss and Sabalenka looked a bit more comfortable in the rallies. 

The momentum carried over to the second, where Sabalenka raised her level and Keys couldn’t find the same shotmaking consistency that lifted her to the early lead. Sabalenka grabbed the early break, and it became clear this was going the distance. 

In the third set, both players held serve all the way to 5-5. 

The key moment of the match came in the middle of that game, with Keys down 15-30. First, Keys executed a perfect serve down the T that surprised Sabalenka and didn’t come back over the net. Then, at 30-all, Sabalenka destroyed a second serve, rocketing it right back at Keys’ feet deep on the baseline. But somehow, Keys got in position to redirect the ball across her body, using Sabalenka’s pace to hit a clean winner on the far sideline. 

That clutch hold put the pressure on Sabalenka to send the match to a tiebreak. But instead, a couple nervous errors by Sabalenka gave Keys a pair of match points. 

On her second one, Keys hit a great return that kicked the baseline to take control of the rally, then decided to shorten the angle on a forehand from the middle of the court and go for the win. Sabalenka didn’t see it coming, and Keys put her hands over her head in a somewhat muted celebration as she realized she won her first Grand Slam title. 

What it means

For Keys, especially at this stage of her career, this is both a surprise and a run that almost can’t be equaled. This was not an easy tournament for her: Keys had to beat No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, No. 6 Elena Rybakina in the round of 16 and former Australian finalist Danielle Collins in the third round. 

A lot of people thought that Keys’ best chances to ever win a major might have passed her by. One of those chances came two years ago in the US Open semifinals against Sabalenka, where she led 6-0, 5-3 and couldn’t close the deal. 

‘I’m glad I got you back,’ Keys joked during the trophy ceremony.

Though Keys didn’t necessarily need a major to validate a career that kept her in the world’s top-20 for a long time, give her credit for making some technical and equipment changes this past offseason that were designed to give her a chance to compete at this level for however many more years she wanted to play. 

The most significant of those changes were prompted by her husband and coach, former top-100 player Bjorn Fratangelo, who suggested that she change from the Wilson racket she had used for her entire career to a lighter Yonex frame with polyester strings instead of the softer gut.

Keys, who has always been one of if not the most powerful player on the women’s tour, said she has felt more control with her new setup while the lighter frame has made it easier for her to absorb the pace of a player like Sabalenka.