First Cocomania ran its course in singles. Now McCoco is gone from doubles, with American phenom Coco Gauff’s U.S. Open officially over.
The teenage doubles team of Gauff and Caty McNally suffered its first-ever loss, with veteran Grand Slam champions Ashleigh Barty and Victoria Azarenka bouncing them 6-0, 6-1 in the third round Monday.
“[It] wasn’t the best day for Caty and I. Like she said, we didn’t start off good, and that momentum kind of dragged on the whole match,” Gauff said. “But obviously it is a little bit of a different level, because it’s the first match we lost. I think we’ll get it next time.
“For me [the most memorable part] would just be the crowd in general. … They were trying to push us, even though we weren’t giving them much to push for. They were really trying to help us. … To me, I’ll just remember the crowd. Hopefully I’ll get to experience that crowd support again next year.”
Seems like a safe bet. Still just 15, Gauff broke onto the international stage with a Wimbledon run, and Cocomania took over the U.S. Open with victories over Anastasia Potapova and Timea Babos. She fell to world-No. 1 Naomi Osaka, but their moving post-match moment made headlines.
She joined the 17-year-old McNally for doubles, as team McCoco quickly became fan favorites in Flushing. McCoco had been undefeated, claiming the junior title at last year’s U.S. Open and then winning its first WTA Tournament last month in Washington.
The wild-card entrants played to packed houses in reaching the third round before falling in front of a packed house at the Grandstand to Barty and Azarenka.
“For me, singles, the tournament was good. I learned a lot, got to play on the biggest court in tennis,” Gauff said. “This is my first main draw in the U.S. Open; it was a good experience.
“For doubles … we’re at the level. We just need to work and improve. We’re both so young, played so little together, that just shows we can improve a lot on what we already have.”
They were taught some lessons Monday, when experience won out. Barty is the world No. 2, while Azarenka was No. 1 in 2012. The veterans advanced to the quarterfinals versus Babos and Kristina Mladenovic.
Meanwhile, with Gauff’s father, Corey, saying she likely won’t play singles again until the Australian Open in January, she’s got some down time. With Hurricane Dorian approaching Florida, the Delray Beach native will stay in the city for awhile.
“It’s not our first rodeo, so … us people that live in Florida, we’re used to the hurricanes coming. I don’t know when I’m going home. I have to figure out how the damage is, when that’s over,” Gauff said. “I want to see some Broadway shows, maybe go shopping. I definitely want to see ‘Lion King.’ I’ve seen it already, but I want to see it again.”