Tennis fans and players erupt on social media after Madison Keys wins Australian Open

In hindsight, we should have all seen this coming. After all, Madison Keys, who had yet to win a Grand Slam, made a path through the Australian Open woods that was extremely impressive. Even before beating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final, Keys had beaten a murderer's row of WTA greats, including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.

Still, most people did not give the American much of a chance against Sabalenka. The Belarusian simply did not lose in Australia, no matter what the tournament was. She had lost once in a few years Down Under. Now, she has lost twice, but she did not go softly into the good night of Melbourne.

The match was fantastic. Keys stunned Sabalenka with power and pristine shot-making in the first set to take it 6-3. Not unexpectedly, Sabalenka appeared to turn the match back around as the Belarusian easily took the second set 6-2. This set up a third set for the ages when Keys got the final break while leading the third set 6-5.

Social media reacts to Madison Keys defeating Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open

The win was the 29-year-old Keys' first major title, and will also see her move up the WTA rankings to No. 7. This matches the best of her career. Sabalenka dropped points by not winning the tournament, but she remains at No. 1 for now.

Social media did not let tennis fans down after Keys' win, though. There was a mixture of congratulations from players and fans alike.

Alcaraz is one player who often tweets congrats to men's and women's players. He is a fantastic player himself, of course, but he is also a fan of the sport.

Watching a player win a Grand Slam, especially the first one, always gives chills. They have worked to improve their game and fight through injuries. Winning a major is the accomplishment of a lifetime, and Keys definitely felt that.

Lil Wayne has long been known to love tennis. He has voiced his opinions about tennis on social media often. The rapper also was willing to stay up quite late so he didn't miss the women's Australian Open final.

This is a classy move by Swiatek who lost to Keys in the semifinals. The tweet also shows how well-liked and respected Keys is on the WTA tour.

Who knew McFarland loved tennis? It is clear he just loves sport. He expresses his thoughts (and those of many others) perfectly here.

Sabalenka might have lost, but she remained a class individual who did not lose her sense of humor after a massive disappointment. She is still No. 1 and is likely not done winning Grand Slams.

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