Defending Australian Open champion Madison Keys successfully began her 2026 campaign, defeating Ukrainian Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova in a first-round match. The encounter, which took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, saw Keys emerge victorious with a score of 7-6(6), 6-1. Keys, the ninth seed, experienced a nervous and shaky start on Rod Laver Arena, conceding an early double break and trailing 4-0 in the first set. Oliynykova, playing in her maiden Grand Slam main draw, showed considerable pluck and even held two set points in the tie-break before Keys' trademark powerful hitting helped her snatch the tense first set. The momentum then shifted decisively in Keys' favor, as she quickly established a 3-0 lead in the second set and went on to close out the match, securing her place in the second round. She is set to face fellow American Ashlyn Krueger next. The article being verified, titled 'Australian Open Day 3 Women's Predictions Including Madison Keys vs Oleksandra Oliynykova' from Last Word On Sports, was indeed a prediction piece published on January 19, 2026, prior to the actual match. This highlights that while the original article accurately presented itself as predictions, the related news now reports on the confirmed outcome of the match.