Coco Gauff has emerged as one of the most prominent figures in women's tennis. At just 20 years old, she achieved a remarkable feat in 2023 by winning the US Open. This year has come to an end for her, and while 2024 may not be etched in her memory as vividly, her journey so far is nothing short of extraordinary. Gauff has accomplished a great deal in her relatively short career, and there are numerous reasons to believe she will continue to win more titles as she matures.

Unstoppable Coco Gauff - The Future of Women's Tennis

Early Beginnings and Debut

Back in 2019, Coco Gauff made her debut on the WTA Tour. At that time, it was unclear what the future held for her. She had a decent doubles partnership with Caty McNally in girls tennis. The two players' careers have since taken very different paths. When the draw for the Miami Open in 2019 was made, Gauff might have been worried. As a 15-year-old, she faced McNally, a tough opponent with whom they had a good doubles partnership. Gauff managed to squeeze through with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory, giving a glimpse of the player she would become. Even then, McNally must have sensed Gauff's potential. She had beaten McNally in the Roland Garros junior final the previous year, and it was clear there was a gap in their classes. After the match, Gauff expressed her disbelief, saying, "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 helped that they knew each other's tendencies, but it also worked in McNally's favor as they both had an advantage due to their familiarity with each other's games.

Career Progress and Grand Slam Titles

Gauff's career has been on an upward trajectory. She recently won the WTA Finals event in Saudi Arabia this month, showing her confidence and ability to perform on the biggest stages. Every event she enters, she believes she can add to her Grand Slam title. In contrast, Caty McNally's singles career has not been as successful. Her world ranking of 817 indicates that she needs to qualify for the majors. In 2023, she reached the first round at Wimbledon after qualifying and also made the second round in Australia. But these days, McNally has focused on doubles competitions. In 2021 and 2022, she reached the final of the US Open with Gauff and Taylor Townsend respectively.

Doubles Success and Partnership

Together, McNally and Gauff have won three doubles titles on the WTA Tour. They also reached the final of the 2021 US Open but fell at the final hurdle. Other wins came at the Emilia-Romagna Open in 2021 and the BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open in 2019. Additionally, they won a Grand Slam junior title together in 2018 before Gauff ventured onto the main tour as a singles participant.

Friendship Beyond Tennis

Despite their different career paths, the two remain friends. In August 2022, McNally was asked about her relationship with Gauff. She said, "What she's doing is incredible. I've reached out to Coco and congratulated her on her latest triumph. Coco and I, yeah, like we are not playing right now, as everyone has probably seen, but we still have a great friendship. I still consider her one of my best friends on the tour." It remains to be seen if they will team up again on the doubles court in the near future.