Coco Gauff beat me on her debut then we teamed up and become title-winning doubles champions
Coco Gauff’s knack for titles did not start on the singles circuit. The 20-year-old is an established champion in women’s singles tennis but her championships started on the doubles side of tennis. Gauff and McNally reached the US Open final in 2021 Gauff is a French Open doubles winner having won the title in 2024 with Kateřina Siniaková, a partnership that was created at the last minute, days before the tournament began. However the 20-year-old’s doubles career began with Caty McNally, a pairing that sparked as juniors and saw the two go on to form a title-winning team. It was not long before their paths crossed on the WTA singles tour as during the Miami Open in 2019, the pair were set to face off each other. Gauff was just a 15-year-old at the time and McNally, three years her senior, was the clear favorite but it was the eventual 2023 US Open champion who would win and earn her first ever WTA victory, edging past her doubles partner 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. After her win, Gauff said of McNally: “I still don’t believe that I won. I didn’t really think it was over. This is a dream. I have been dreaming of this moment for years, just playing in the Miami Open. “It kind of helped (that I knew her), because I knew her tendencies, but that also helped her. We kind of both had an advantage because we know each other’s games very well.” Despite Gauff’s win, the pair would continue as a doubles pair and go on to win titles on the WTA tour. McNally and Gauff won the Washington Open and Luxembourg Open in 2019 before winning the Emilia Romagna Open in 2021, the same year they reached the US Open final. The Americans also won a Grand Slam junior title too, teaming up for the US Open girls’ doubles title in 2018, the same year Gauff won the junior French Open, aged just 14 However, the pair, dubbed as McCoco, would split in 2022 with Gauff going on to form a doubles pairing with Jessica Pegula. The 20-year-old recently won the WTA finals A partnership that would win five titles including WTA 1000 crowns in Miami and Canada. Despite Gauff’s doubles success away from McNally, the latter insists the pair still have a great relationship. “Coco and I, yeah, like we are not playing right now, as everyone has probably seen, but we still have a great friendship,” McNally said. “I still consider her one of my best friends on tour. We still support each other through the ups and downs.” McNally’s career has not taken off like the 2023 US Open Champion’s career since their split. The young American did not participate in a single Grand Slam in 2024 while Gauff is already a major champion. The 20-year-old is currently the World No.3 in the world while McNally ranks low at 319 and was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open year.
Coco Gauff’s knack for titles did not start on the singles circuit.
The 20-year-old is an established champion in women’s singles tennis but her championships started on the doubles side of tennis.
Gauff is a French Open doubles winner having won the title in 2024 with Kateřina Siniaková, a partnership that was created at the last minute, days before the tournament began.
However the 20-year-old’s doubles career began with Caty McNally, a pairing that sparked as juniors and saw the two go on to form a title-winning team.
It was not long before their paths crossed on the WTA singles tour as during the Miami Open in 2019, the pair were set to face off each other.
Gauff was just a 15-year-old at the time and McNally, three years her senior, was the clear favorite but it was the eventual 2023 US Open champion who would win and earn her first ever WTA victory, edging past her doubles partner 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
After her win, Gauff said of McNally: “I still don’t believe that I won. I didn’t really think it was over. This is a dream. I have been dreaming of this moment for years, just playing in the Miami Open.
“It kind of helped (that I knew her), because I knew her tendencies, but that also helped her. We kind of both had an advantage because we know each other’s games very well.”
Despite Gauff’s win, the pair would continue as a doubles pair and go on to win titles on the WTA tour.
McNally and Gauff won the Washington Open and Luxembourg Open in 2019 before winning the Emilia Romagna Open in 2021, the same year they reached the US Open final.
The Americans also won a Grand Slam junior title too, teaming up for the US Open girls’ doubles title in 2018, the same year Gauff won the junior French Open, aged just 14
However, the pair, dubbed as McCoco, would split in 2022 with Gauff going on to form a doubles pairing with Jessica Pegula.
A partnership that would win five titles including WTA 1000 crowns in Miami and Canada.
Despite Gauff’s doubles success away from McNally, the latter insists the pair still have a great relationship.
“Coco and I, yeah, like we are not playing right now, as everyone has probably seen, but we still have a great friendship,” McNally said.
“I still consider her one of my best friends on tour. We still support each other through the ups and downs.”
McNally’s career has not taken off like the 2023 US Open Champion’s career since their split.
The young American did not participate in a single Grand Slam in 2024 while Gauff is already a major champion.
The 20-year-old is currently the World No.3 in the world while McNally ranks low at 319 and was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open year.
