"I guess I should go over [one avenue] to Madison," giggled Keys via cell phone.
Why should she be nervous?
After all, Keys, who turned pro last year at 14, won her first professional tournament in June, a $10,000 ITF event in Cleveland.
And last summer, while most of her friends back home in Rock Island, Ill., were dreaming of faraway beaches, Keys was beating top-ranked Serena Williams in a World Team Tennis match 5-1.
She even received a, "Good job," from tennis legend and WTT founder Billie Jean King.
"I've wanted to play in Grand Slams since I was little," said Keys, 15, ranked 657th on the WTA and 78th in the ITF. "I wanted to wear tennis dresses that Serena and Venus [Williams] wore.
"Winning [Cleveland] gave me confidence that I could compete with the pros."
Keys moved to the Evert Tennis Academy when she was 10 and admittedly had never heard of Chris Evert, winner of 17 Grand Slams, including five U.S. Opens.
After dominating the national 12s division, dramatic growth spurts gave Keys pain in her knees and hips, forcing her off the court. She's now healthy and a sturdy 5-foot-11.
"The sky's the limit," said Keys' coach John Evert, the USTA Developemental Coach of the Year. "She's got a big serve and forehand, and can knock off a winner anywhere on the court.
"She has that, 'it,' factor, but she needs a lot more experience."
Keys, who beat the 81st-ranked Alla Kudryavtseva in her WTA debut at Ponte Vedra last year, needs to win three rounds of qualies to earn one of the 128 spots. She's also competing in the junior tournament.
"I feel like I've finally stopped growing," she said. "Everything is coming together right now."
