CATY McNALLY FALLS to the bottom, her palms protecting her face as tears pour out of her eyes. Her chest heaves as she gingerly stands again up, and appears at her brother, John, who as soon as was a part of a sparse crowd however is now surrounded by cheering followers. He’s crying, too.
McNally’s opponent, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, runs over to McNally’s aspect of the court docket and hugs her. Nonetheless crying, McNally limps her technique to her brother, and hugs him tight. The time on the court docket has lastly stopped ticking: The clock reads 3 hours and 6 minutes.
It’s the first spherical of the Western & Southern Open in McNally’s hometown of Cincinnati, and McNally’s hard-fought victory over the No. 36 participant on this planet earlier this month is crucial win of her season to this point.
After signing a number of balls, McNally is escorted again to the gamers’ lounge — a brisk stroll to the other finish of the grounds. She enters by way of a aspect door, and it is just like the opening act giving technique to the headliner. The entrance door swings open and out comes Coco Gauff, who’s immediately swarmed by followers. Children as younger as 5 years outdated and followers sufficiently old to be Gauff’s grandparents mumble “Excuse me” to get a greater have a look at the French Open singles and doubles runner-up, the way forward for tennis.
Gauff indicators balls and posters and notebooks, twirling for photographs and grinning with delight.
A yr in the past, magic materialized when McNally and Gauff shared house and time on the US Open as doubles companions. Dubbed “McCoco,” they ventured all the best way to the ultimate of the ladies’s doubles draw earlier than falling to Samantha Stosur and Shuai Zhang.
The younger Individuals drew the sort of consideration to doubles that Serena and Venus as soon as did. They obtained primetime protection and performed in entrance of adoring followers on packed courts. Their straightforward friendship off the court docket and their complementary video games on the court docket made them a significant attraction for followers and an unwelcome sight for opponents.
Their enthusiastic leaping chest bumps turned an iconic picture of the event.
However since final taking part in with one another in March in Miami, Gauff, 18, and McNally, 20, have gone their separate methods. Like Gauff, McNally by no means got down to be typecast as a sidekick. She had turned professional in 2019, and it was time to concentrate on boosting her singles rating. So she headed to the game’s outposts to play in lower-level tournaments.
“I do not see why I am unable to be within the Prime 10 within the subsequent 5 years,” McNally tells ESPN in Cincinnati. “I’m rising, I’m studying loads about myself and my sport, and that is solely going to assist me down the street.”
Gauff, in fact, has loved a well-documented fast ascent in singles, and she or he has continued to star on the largest phases in tennis. And though they each are taking part in on the yr’s last main — doubles just for McNally — there can be no encore of McCoco on the 2022 US Open.
However is the partnership gone for good? Can McNally develop her sport sufficient to develop into a standalone star in singles? And in that case, will the riveting duo rise once more?
THE BALL FLOATS towards McNally, who stands close to the online in Arthur Ashe Stadium. She angles the appropriate aspect of her physique away from the online, reaches up and whips her racket above her head. It is a scintillating backhand overhead that’s struck so cleanly and angled so tightly that neither opponent even makes a transfer for it.
Gauff watches her teammate’s smash from the baseline and punches her fist within the air, screaming with pleasure. McNally joins her associate and delivers her personal emphatic fist pumps. The group roars.
Recreation, second set — Gauff-McNally the chair umpire declares.
It is the ultimate of the 2021 US Open final September, and the match is tied at one set a bit.
Down 3-5 within the third set, the crew of McCoco digs in to lengthen the match. However dealing with a match level, Gauff shanks a return of Stosur’s serve and the ball floats out, and with it the Individuals’ hopes for a significant title come to an abrupt finish. Gauff throws her racket in frustration. McNally faucets Gauff’s shoulder and provides her a hug.
The then-teens smile brightly in the course of the ensuing awards ceremony, they usually maintain the runner-up trophy collectively. Thirty minutes later, McNally, sporting a tie-dye US Open hat, her signature cross necklace and a military inexperienced shirt, walks right into a packed information convention alongside Gauff. They retrace their journey from taking part in junior tennis simply three years previous to taking part in a significant last in entrance of a largely packed Arthur Ashe crowd.
“We knew this was coming — we knew finals have been coming down the street — and I nonetheless suppose we can be again out on that court docket once more with a unique outcome before later,” McNally says.
Gauff smiles and responds, “It is wonderful how far we have come and I’m glad that we’re ready to do that journey collectively, and there isn’t any different particular person or participant I might somewhat do that with.”
They’d certainly come a good distance collectively. In 2018, on the age of 16, McNally gained the French Open junior doubles title with Iga Swiatek. She misplaced within the singles last of the identical occasion to none aside from Gauff. Then, a number of months later, they teamed as much as win the US Open junior doubles title. So, this was a full-circle second.
There was no cause to consider the duo would not make one other loop or two. On the floor, it appeared as if McCoco was simply taking off. A quarterfinal run on the 2021 Australian Open, adopted by a WTA win on the Emilia-Romagna Open in Italy preceded the duo’s US Open run.
However those that appeared carefully final yr in New York might maybe predict divergent paths forward. Gauff had already gained a foothold within the Grand Slam singles attracts, making waves with wins over Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka on the 2020 Australian Open and advancing to the second week at each the French Open and Wimbledon in 2021. McNally, in the meantime, had made it to the third spherical of a significant simply as soon as, on the 2020 US Open. Eventually yr’s US Open, Gauff’s singles rating was twenty third, whereas McNally’s was one hundred and thirtieth.
The distinction of their rankings meant McNally could not mechanically get into the top-tier tournaments. So whereas Gauff performed underneath the brightest WTA lights at tournaments in Madrid and Rome this spring, McNally competed in ITF occasions in Prague and La Bisbal d’Empordà. Every picked up a unique associate alongside the best way.
“With our completely different singles schedule, it was simply tough to have the ability to discover time to follow,” Gauff mentioned on the time.
In Paris in Could, lengthy earlier than Gauff made her appearances within the championship matches of each the singles and doubles with Jessica Pegula, McNally had misplaced within the first spherical of the French Open singles qualifying and the third spherical of doubles with Shuai Zhang.
To date this yr, Gauff has earned $2.4 million in prize cash; McNally has gained $264,000. Gauff made the net cowl tales of Teen Vogue and ESPN, whereas McNally hit the follow courts. Gauff’s career-high singles rating is eleventh (in July 2022); McNally’s is one hundred and fifth (in September 2019). In doubles, Gauff reached a profession excessive of No. 1 this summer time, whereas McNally peaked at No. 11 this spring (she is at the moment ranked No. 22).
However do not suppose for a second that McNally is paralyzed with envy of her former associate’s fortunes. Or that she’s bitter {that a} profession that began with such candy success has, at the very least on the floor, hit a snag. When you suppose that, then you do not know the “Mc” half of McCoco. She’s not solely maintaining her friendship with Gauff, she’s additionally conserving the religion.
HER RIGHT CALF wrapped in tape and down a second match level in opposition to reigning Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur, McNally smacks a serve towards the middle service line. A delicate return comes McNally’s manner, and she or he whips a forehand deep to Jabeur’s backhand. When McNally sees a defensive slice heading her manner, she boldly runs towards the ball and crushes a swinging volley and follows it to the online. Jabeur runs and has an opportunity on the passing shot, nevertheless it lands within the web.
On the subsequent level, McNally goes for an enormous serve and volley, ending the purpose with an emphatic smash and a fist pump. Match level, McNally.
With the gang on its ft, a win over the Wimbledon runner-up is there for McNally to take.
However the fifth-seeded Jabeur is unfazed; she’s been right here earlier than. After a service winner and an ace, McNally is down match level once more. An unforced error off her backhand wing brings a painful finish to her Cincinnati run.
Whole factors gained: 103 Jabeur; 103 McNally.
McNally grabs her gear and runs off the court docket, tears streaming down her face for the second day in a row.
With an enormous serve, a formidable forehand, and a uncommon really feel on the web, McNally has the sort of versatile sport that, as soon as honed, might elevate her to the highest of the sport. For now, it is about determining tips on how to match these puzzle items collectively. Whereas her present world rating of No. 160 might make it appear to be she has an extended technique to go, the shut name with Jabeur — who climbed to a career-high of world No. 2 earlier this yr — may very well be a touch that McNally is nearer than the numbers point out.
“Ever since I used to be a bit lady, I’ve needed to win Grand Slams and be No. 1 on this planet,” McNally says in Cincinnati. “It takes one good week in your life to vary as we noticed with gamers like Emma Raducanu. So each time I am having a tricky week, I believe to myself, ‘There’s going to be one other week, and one other likelihood.'”
The exit from the Cincinnati singles draw got here a day after McNally misplaced within the first spherical of the doubles occasion with fellow American Taylor Townsend. They have been taking part in collectively for the primary time, and it took a bit for them to regulate to one another’s rhythms. They have been bageled within the first set, however recovered to take the second set, earlier than shedding within the match tiebreaker.
Up to now six months, McNally’s greatest singles outcome: besting world No. 33 Elise Mertens within the first spherical of the Birmingham Traditional. (That is England, not Alabama.) Her deepest run: Quarterfinals in a WTA 250 event within the Netherlands (in a spot known as ‘s-Hertogenbosch) in June. 9 instances in 2022, together with final week on the US Open, she’s been eradicated in qualifying.
McNally’s latest outcomes may not present her progress, and it’d appear like she’s had a tough yr, however progress can’t be measured by wins alone, her coaches insist. Her sport is sophisticated, primarily based on discovering the appropriate combination of energy and contact, of slices and topspins, of staying again on the baseline and dashing the online.
“She’s had some powerful matches and a few powerful attracts, however she’s performed some [close matches] and she or he’s doing issues higher day-after-day,” her mother and co-coach Lynn says.
Her different coach, Kevin O’Neill, isn’t anxious. He factors to a different pair of younger Individuals who got here up on the identical time when contemplating the trajectories of McNally and Gauff.
“Andre Agassi shot out on the tour fairly shortly. Pete Sampras did not. It took him three or 4 years longer than Andre. It doesn’t suggest Pete wasn’t good,” O’Neill says of the American males who mixed to win 22 main singles titles.
It is solely a matter of time earlier than McNally’s sport plan goes to pay dividends, each in singles and doubles, O’Neill believes. McNally has large desires: She aspires to crack the highest 10. To win main doubles titles. And a few day, a significant singles title, too.
“I belief the method,” McNally says.
McNALLY FIDGETS IN her seat and takes a deep breath. Her hair, nonetheless moist from a grueling match, is pulled again in a bun. She’s drained and sweaty however she’s nonetheless able to subject questions from the group of reporters in entrance of her.
One reporter asks: Seeing it from afar, what was your response to Gauff changing into world No. 1 in doubles?
It was unbelievable, McNally says. McNally had reached out and congratulated Gauff when she heard the information.
With out being prompted, she elaborates. Sure, she stays in contact with Gauff. Sure, they listen to one another’s outcomes. Sure, there’s an opportunity they will reunite someplace down the street.
She shares with reporters that Gauff texted her earlier than her first-round match in opposition to Aliaksandra Sasnovich after which once more to congratulate her after the win.
She says she and Gauff are nonetheless “greatest mates” on tour.
The following day, when it is simply the 2 of us, I ask McNally extra questions concerning the dissolution of McCoco. And, extra pointedly, what it is like to observe her former associate soar into superstardom.
What has it been like watching Gauff’s journey from the place you’re? She seems confused. How do you imply?
I elaborate, considerably awkwardly: Your paths have diverged, however you are still on the tour collectively and you are still mates, so out of your vantage level… I path off.
She nods, and politely says that they are on their very own journeys, taking part in completely different occasions and dealing on their very own targets. Sooner or later, when the time is correct, she would like to play along with her once more.
However right here on the US Open, McNally is about to start her doubles journey with Townsend and with out Gauff, who’s partnering with Pegula.
To make certain, McNally hasn’t forgotten concerning the phrases she uttered eventually yr’s information convention on the Open. Sometime she needs to play with Gauff once more. She texted along with her lately, telling her she would like to share a court docket once more.
There’s nothing strong for McCoco for the close to future, but when it does occur once more, you higher consider it will likely be the speak of the tennis world. Once more.
For now, McNally is able to drive dwelling, a 15-minute journey from the stadium, a uncommon pleasure on tour. She has gotten to have dinner in Cincinnati along with her older brother John, who turned professional final yr after starring at Ohio State. “I’m fortunate to have him in my life,” she says. “He is aware of what it is like once I’m going by way of the powerful moments in addition to the nice ones.” She’s been ready to hang around along with her canines, Stella and Skye. “They have been sitting [by] the window ready for me after my match. They’re all the time completely happy to see you it doesn’t matter what — win or lose,” she says. And he or she’s been in a position to make her personal breakfast each morning earlier than matches.
Most vital of all, she has gotten to sleep in her personal mattress. That is the overriding thought she’s having at this second: Get an excellent night time’s sleep. She is aware of, in spite of everything, that there is a lengthy street forward.
