McNally wins in new chapter for women's singles at Tennis Hall of Fame

NEWPORT — As Tatjana Maria sailed the final serve over the baseline on Sunday, Caty McNally dropped to her knees and threw her hands to the sky. The home crowd erupted. It was both a personal victory for McNally and the start of a new chapter for the Hall of Fame Open.

McNally defeated Germany’s Maria to claim the first Hall of Fame Open women’s singles, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, on July 13. It's the first women’s title to be awarded at the International Tennis Hall of Fame since the 1990 Virginia Slims Invitational.

“The last couple of years have been extremely difficult,” McNally said. “Just coming here to Newport has been an incredible week. Winning the title here means so much. It’s just all hard work and kind of just everything coming together finally.”

McNally, 23, was ranked as high as No. 11 nationally, making the U.S. Open doubles final with Coco Gauff in 2021 and returning the following year.

After battling injury, McNally underwent elbow surgery in 2024 and started her comeback bid several months later. She was at one point doubtful she’d made it back, but participated in this year’s Wimbledon, losing to eventual champion Iga Świątek in the second round.

She leaned on her tribulations when she fell behind in the first set, something she’d done the round before as well.

“I learned a lot from that surgery, built a lot of strength,” McNally said. “I had to build back from ground zero.”

McNally prioritized attacking to launch her comeback, converting on 78.8% of her serves. Her powerful serve allowed her to rack up easy points and hang on the match until she could get a hold of it.

The American let the Newport spectators help her throughout the match as she got up in the final set and converted on both of her break points. Up 40-love in the final game, she took it all in and collected the title in the first singles final of her return.

“It was just relief,” McNally said of her final moment. “Really proud of the way I went after it in that last service game.” 

Women’s doubles 

The Corley sisters, Carmen and Ivana, took the first two sets over Arianne Hartono and Prarthana Thombare on Sunday to win the first-ever Hall of Fame Open women’s doubles championship, 7-4, 6-3.

The win completed their dominating run through the tournament, sweeping through three of four rounds.

After not competing together in circuit action all year, Carmen and Ivana collected their first circuit title since March 2024. They returned to the court together for three tournaments in June but lost in the first round of each.

They then returned back to their alma mater, Oklahoma, to train and it seemingly worked out. 

“We can’t leave each other,” Ivana Corley said. “We gotta figure it out.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: McNally wins in new chapter for women's singles at Tennis Hall of Fame