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Coco Gauff’s Former Doubles Partner Sheds Light on the Harsh Struggles of Lower-Ranked Pro Tennis Players

Published 12/11/2023, 4:30 AM EST

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Tennis is one of the richest sports in the world. Everyone knows the amount of money involved in the top level of this game. But what about those who are ranked at a lower level? Well, we all have a misconception about the racket sport. The 22-year-old American tennis player and a close friend of Coco Gauff is here to clear out all the misconceptions. Caty McNally sheds light on the ‘non-fancy’ lifestyle of pro tennis players. Let’s find out what she has to say on this.

McNally is one of the rising stars in American tennis. She has won 7 doubles titles on the WTA Tour and Coco Gauff has been a major part of her success in doubles events. We’ll find out about their camaraderie later on, but before that let’s look into the other side of the glamorous world of tennis.

WTA American star explains the 5 common misconceptions about a pro player on the WTA Circuit

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This topic has been in the debate for quite a while now. In tennis, only the higher-ranked players get all the perks and privileges of a fixed salary. While the lower ranked players have to win matches, improve their rankings to get featured in the higher levelled tournaments to draw a significant amount in their bag. Until and unless one plays in the top-tier events, it’s very difficult to seal the endorsement deals. Hence, they often struggle to make their ends meet with just the prize money.

Caty McNally, who’s currently ranked at 148th place in women’s singles lists out 5 common misconceptions. She says, firstly they don’t always get to travel in first class even during the longer trips to Australia or Europe. Secondly, she mentions that it’s not always easy to get a practice court. There can be instances where they find 4 sharing the same court on match day.

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She adds, travelling isn’t that glamorous as they are usually very busy and get less time to take a tour at the venues. Lastly, she reveals that players don’t always eat at fancy restaurants and finding the right food before the match can be a difficult task at times.

McNally achieved her highest singles ranking of 54 this year. However, she is well known for her partnership with the 19-year-old American star in making, Coco Gauff in the doubles events.

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The camaraderie between Coco Gauff and Caty McNally

Gauff and McNally are close friends on and off the court. They were a regular doubles pair a few years back. Both of them played together from 2019 to the end of 2021. During that span, they managed to clinch 3 titles and finished as the runners-up at the US Open in 2021. Their bonding gave rise to a new nickname in the tennis world- ‘McCoco’.

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Although the pair doesn’t feature much in the matches together as a team. McNally had earlier revealed that they are still good friends. Do you want to see ‘McCoco’ back again in 2024? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Written by:

Sayantan Roy

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Tennis has been my passion since my childhood. My sheer love and enthusiasm for the racket sport has been a major influence in me wanting to build a career in sports journalism. Additionally, being a die-hard Real Madrid fan makes me more connected to my tennis idol-Rafael Nadal, who himself is a huge Los Blancos fan and a contender to become its next President.
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Edited by:

Shudh.mukherjee