Australian Open 2026: Jessica Pegula ends Madison Keys title defence and wins apple pie bet
Keys had previously insisted that she would refuse to eat the delicious meal, but conceded defeat and said she would accept the wagering terms.
At the post-match press conference, Keys said, “A bet is a bet, so I’ll do it. Hopefully it’ll be less nasty than I thought, but I guess we’ll find out.”
Had the ninth seed won its fourth-round game and continued its title defense, the Keys’ betting side had Pegula (whose billionaire parents own the NFL team Buffalo Bills) playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.
“He asked me to wear it” [Travis] “Kelce cut off the Taylor Swift Chiefs jersey,” Pegula said. “Honestly, I had too much motivation not to wear that today.”
The 2024 US Open finalist wrote “no Chiefs jersey today” into the courtside camera lens following his victory, and the pair were seen chatting and laughing in the locker room immediately after the match.
Keys, who beat Sabalenka in the final at Melbourne Park last year, said she was “still proud of herself” despite her departure.
“Coming back and defending champion, dealing with all the extra pressure and nerves, I’m really proud of myself for the way I handled it,” he said.
Fourth seed Anisimova awaits Pegula in the quarter-finals, who beat Wang 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 and reached her first quarter-final at the Australian Open.
The 24-year-old is yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park as he bids for a first major title after finishing second at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
While their American friends Coco Gauff and Iva Jovic were in the quarter-finals, four players from the USA reached the last eight in women’s singles for the first time since 2001 at the Australian Open.
