Australian Open 2026: Jessica Pegula ends Madison Keys title defence and wins apple pie bet

Keys had previously insisted she would refuse to eat the delicacy, but she admitted defeat and said she would accept the terms of the wager.

“A bet is a bet, so I’ll do it. I hope it’s less gross than I think it’s going to be but we’ll find out I guess,” Keys said in her post-match news conference.

Had the ninth seed won the fourth-round match and continued her title defence, Keys’ side of the bet involved Pegula – whose billionaire parents own NFL side Buffalo Bills – wearing a Kansas City Chiefs jersey.

“She wanted me to wear a [Travis] Kelce slash Taylor Swift Chiefs jersey,” Pegula said. “Honestly I had a lot of motivation today not to wear that.”

The 2024 US Open finalist wrote “no Chiefs jersey today” on a courtside camera lens after her victory and the pair were seen chatting and laughing in the locker room straight after the match.

Keys, who beat Sabalenka in last year’s final at Melbourne Park, said she was “still really proud of herself” despite her exit.

“Coming back and being defending champion, and dealing with all of the extra pressure and nerves – I am really proud of myself for the way I handled it,” she said.

Fourth seed Anisimova awaits Pegula in the quarter-finals after she overpowered Wang 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 to reach her first quarter-final at the Australian Open.

The 24-year-old has yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park as she bids for a first major title after finishing as runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.

With fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Iva Jovic already in the quarter-finals, it is the first time four players from the US have reached the last eight in the women’s singles at the Australian Open since 2001.