A jittery Madison Keys said Tuesday she was "too timid" after getting the defense of her Australian Open crown off to a stuttering start, losing the first four games before rallying to stay in the title hunt.
The American ninth seed was a bundle of nerves on Rod Laver Arena, but calmed down to clinch a 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 win over Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova.
Keys stunned Aryna Sabalenka 12 months ago in a three-set epic to win her first major crown at the age of 29, but she failed to push on in 2025, winning no more titles.
She started her season with quarter-final exits at Brisbane and Adelaide, admitting before the Grand Slam to being nervous as defending champion.
"I think at the start I just felt like I was playing just a little timid and not really trusting my first instinct," she said.
"I kind of kept changing my mind on what I actually wanted to do.
"That was really slowing down my footwork as well. I was reacting instead of having a plan of what I wanted to do."
Playing at her 50th Grand Slam, in contrast to Oliynykova who was at her first, Keys sent down three double faults and was broken on her first service game.
The Ukrainian, ranked 92 and facing a player inside the top 50 for the first time, consolidated with a hold after six deuces in the second game to take charge.
Showing no nerves, she stunned the American by breaking again and raced 4-0 clear before Keys finally woke up and battled back.
She cut down on the errors and found her range on serve to win the next five games.
But Keys was broken again and it went to a tiebreak, where she slumped 4-0 behind and had to save two set points before converting for the set with a blistering crosscourt winner.
The gritty comeback was the catalyst for a far more convincing second set, breaking straight away and racing into a 4-0 lead before sealing the match with ease after 1hr 40min.
Despite the shaky start, Keys said it was a privilege to be back as defending champion.
"I have been thinking of that moment for basically a year," she said of returning to the scene of her greatest triumph.
"I was talking to (multiple Grand Slam winner) Lindsay Davenport yesterday.
"She reminded me that not many people get to be a defending champion at a Grand Slam, so just trying to embrace it and enjoy it.
"And, as nervous as I was at the start, I'm really glad to be back and to win that match."
