section_path: Career/2009–2012: WTA Tour match win at age 14
section_name: 2009–2012: WTA Tour match win at age 14
paragraph_text: 2009–2012: WTA Tour match win at age 14
  
  Keys turned pro in February 2009 on her 14th birthday. She made her WTA Tour debut a few months later at the Ponte Vedra Beach Championships, having played in only one previous professional tournament where she lost her only match. In her debut, she defeated world No. 81, Alla Kudryavtseva, in straight sets. At the age of 14 years and 48 days, she became the seventh-youngest player ever to win a WTA Tour-level match and the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1994. Top seed Nadia Petrova knocked Keys out of the tournament in the next round. Due to the tour's age restriction policy, she was unable to enter another WTA tournament that year. Nonetheless, Keys found another opportunity to play against the top professionals by participating in the World TeamTennis league as a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms. Still only 14 years old, she beat Serena Williams in a set to five games. Williams was ranked No. 2 in the world at the time and had just won Wimbledon earlier that month.
  
  During her early years, Keys played mostly on the ITF Circuit, where she won three titles in singles and one in doubles. Her next opportunity to play on the WTA Tour came in March 2011, when she was awarded a wild card into the Miami Open. Keys was defeated by No. 41, Patty Schnyder, in the first round, despite having a chance to serve for the match. Several months later, Keys won an invitational playoff to earn one of the American wild card spots in the main draw of the US Open. She defeated fellow American Jill Craybas in her Grand Slam tournament debut to become the youngest match winner at the event in six years at the age of 16. Keys also won an invitational playoff to compete at the 2012 Australian Open but was unable to get past the first round.
  
  Keys turned pro in February 2009 on her 14th birthday. She made her WTA Tour debut a few months later at the Ponte Vedra Beach Championships, having played in only one previous professional tournament where she lost her only match. In her debut, she defeated world No. 81, Alla Kudryavtseva, in straight sets. At the age of 14 years and 48 days, she became the seventh-youngest player ever to win a WTA Tour-level match and the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1994. Top seed Nadia Petrova knocked Keys out of the tournament in the next round. Due to the tour's age restriction policy, she was unable to enter another WTA tournament that year. Nonetheless, Keys found another opportunity to play against the top professionals by participating in the World TeamTennis league as a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms. Still only 14 years old, she beat Serena Williams in a set to five games. Williams was ranked No. 2 in the world at the time and had just won Wimbledon earlier that month.
  
  During her early years, Keys played mostly on the ITF Circuit, where she won three titles in singles and one in doubles. Her next opportunity to play on the WTA Tour came in March 2011, when she was awarded a wild card into the Miami Open. Keys was defeated by No. 41, Patty Schnyder, in the first round, despite having a chance to serve for the match. Several months later, Keys won an invitational playoff to earn one of the American wild card spots in the main draw of the US Open. She defeated fellow American Jill Craybas in her Grand Slam tournament debut to become the youngest match winner at the event in six years at the age of 16. Keys also won an invitational playoff to compete at the 2012 Australian Open but was unable to get past the first round.