Jessica Pegula won a friendly bet with podcast co-host Madison Keys following their match in the Australian Open.

By Shrivathsa Sridhar MELBOURNE, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Madison Keys said she was leaving the Australian Open with her pride intact despite a straight-sets defeat by Jessica Pegula in the fourth round and promised to honour a pre-match wager by eating a cheese-smothered apple pie.

Madison Keys' Australian Open title defense ended with a 3-6 4-6 round-of-16 loss to Jessica Pegula, but the 2025 Melbourne champion was all but negative and pessimistic about it.

That’s the transition Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys will make when they step into Rod Laver Arena for their fourth-round match on Monday morning in Melbourne. “It’s a very niche headline,” Keys joked. For these two Americans, neither of whom is known as a diva or a trash talker, it will be business as usual.

The American sixth seed secured a dominant 6-3 6-4 victory over defending champion Madison Keys to reach the quarter‑finals at Melbourne Park for the fourth time.

Jessica Pegula sent reigning champion and podcast co-host Madison Keys spinning out of the Australian Open on Monday while Jannik Sinner aims to avoid the same fate and reach the quarter-finals in 33C heat.

Madison Keys is known as one of the strongest hitters on the WTA Tour, highlighted by her win at the 2025 Australian Open. She has 10 WTA titles and a Grand Slam victory, but her background also stands out.