US OPEN

September 11, 2022

Caty McNally

Taylor Townsend

Press Conference

KREJCIKOVA-SINIAKOVA/McNally-Townsend

3-6, 7-5, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Grand Slam finals as a new partnership, can you talk about this run you guys have been on and what the tournament has been like for you guys?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, I mean, it's been amazing. You know, it really stings. You get so close, two games away. But this is part of the sport, part of the game. Just continue.

I think both Caty and I are super motivated. Doubles really helps our singles game so I'm really excited to get back on the court and play some singles and see how this confidence and getting this far and playing really great tennis against some great players, you know, what it does for the rest of the year and going into the next year.

I'm super thankful, you know, that Caty said yes, she responded to my DM. But we were able to do this. Something this monumental is very uncommon to be able to play your second tournament and get to a Grand Slam final. I'm definitely not going to take that for granted, and I'm not going to minimize the accomplishment that we have made.

I'm looking forward to continuing. But, you know, I had so much fun with Caty. She's an amazing partner, amazing player. She's been here, you know, so next time, third time is the charm, right?

CATY McNALLY: I hope so. I hope so.

THE MODERATOR: Caty, same thoughts from you?

CATY McNALLY: Yeah, I think honestly she said everything. Going into this tournament, yeah, we had only played one match before. I was just going in, looking forward to having fun, seeing where we went.

As the week went on, we really gelled together, started playing some really good tennis. I'm really happy that we were able to get here to the finals. Obviously right now it stings, but I think in a couple of days, we'll be able to look back and just be really proud of ourselves for everything.

THE MODERATOR: Taylor, to be back here in a Grand Slam final now as a mother, what does that mean to you?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: It means everything. This journey that I have been on has been amazing, honestly. I'm not going to say that I expected to be out on that stage this quickly. I envisioned it. I saw it. But to actually see it in your mind and for it to come true are two different things.

Yeah, it's amazing to have my son to be here with me and to be able to challenge myself, to juggle that life of being a mom while playing in a slam, like it was a challenge and I was a little bit nervous, you know, to kind of take that on, but it's been awesome, and I really enjoy myself out here.

You know, honestly, I'm just super motivated. I know that's really just shown me that I can do it like anything, even if it feels impossible at the time, like I can do it. That's kind of the space that I'm in right now. You know, I'm just super motivated to continue on and show my son, like, we were so close, like, you know, when you look back, you're so close, it didn't happen this time, but that doesn't mean that you stop. So just try to extract the lessons out of this and move on and kind of look at the bigger picture.

THE MODERATOR: Caty, consecutive US Open finals. What about playing here in New York has been so successful for you?

CATY McNALLY: Well, it's a good question. I mean, honestly I enjoy being back home. The year is super long. So playing here in New York, I always really enjoy it. Playing in front of the fans, I feel like they do a great job of supporting. They supported us really well this week. Last year they supported Coco and I extremely well.

Yeah, I just try to enjoy it and just have fun out there.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Curious with how well you were playing up to a set and 4-1, what do you think made the difference in the end?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: They're a really solid team. I mean, the guy at the beginning of the match was rolling off their record, they have won this, that, this, that, every slam. They are a great team, and they understand what they need to do for each other when they are not playing well.

When one person is lacking or the other, they are not playing well together, they understand what they need to do in order to lift each other up.

I think that just comes with time and understanding of the person that you are playing with. You know, like this is our second tournament, and we have had challenges in this tournament, but not the way that they have over the years.

I just think it's a testament to their experience, honestly. They have been here before together. They know what it's like to play together on these stages, and I think that, you know, experience, you can't beat that.

So I just really feel like they loosened up and started playing, you know, with no pressure, honestly. You know, things started to go their way. We got a little bit tight, which is natural, it's going to happen. But I just think they played the bigger points better than us today.

It is what it is. We take that with a grain of salt. We try to do the right things and keep on moving.

Q. When we spoke last year you were so clear about your timeline, how you wanted to come back. How important was having that visualization in your mind, having things end up being as successful as they have been?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, it was incredibly important. It was difficult for me to do that, because I try to plan stuff, but not like that far in advance, because with this sport, it's so difficult to because things change week to week.

For me to have to plan out 18, 12 to 18 months, like, I didn't know if anything was going to go according to plan, but I had to put something in place. Everything has gone according to plan, to be honest.

It's very important to have that visual and just to know what you want. More so accepting the journey of, like, it might not happen the way that you thought, but, you know, as long as you are taking steps forward, that's all that matters. Some are steps and some are leaps, but at the end of the day, as long as you are going in the direction of your goal, that's all that matters.

Q. You have had so much success with Coco in the past. Curious how you adapt to different partners and what this dynamic with Taylor has been like?

CATY McNALLY: Yeah. Coco isn't the only girl I have played doubles with. Growing up, I played with a lot of different people. I think, you know, I get along with everyone that I play with. I try to choose people that they are good players but that I like them as people, as well. I think that's super important to be able to get along with them.

Yeah, I mean, Taylor is a great girl. Obviously she's a great player. When she asked me to play, I was really looking forward to it. Looking forward to just learning some new things. She has great volleys. I was, like, Okay, I'm actually really excited to learn some things and maybe she can teach me some things, as well.

Yeah, I'm going to have different partners throughout my career. I'm only 20 years old. It's not only just going to be me and Coco or me and Taylor. I've played with Anna Kalinskaya. There is going to be different people.

Q. Do you anticipate playing a few more tournaments together for the rest of the year? What was the idea of your schedule?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: Yeah, it's pretty difficult post-US Open because everything is up in the air, and honestly the schedule is all over the place.

You know, we wanted to finish the tournament first and then be able to figure out what we were going to do, and I feel like Caty and I are both in that space, because, you know, singles is our priority. Like we are really good at doubles. Singles is our priority.

So we have to do what's best for ourselves, and, you know, if we are at the same tournaments and it works out, then that's great. We have to do what's best for us and, you know, moving our career in the direction that we want in terms of singles.

So we will see. We just have to figure it out. It's difficult. There is Europe, India, Asia. It's everywhere. It's really difficult this last part of the year to figure out where you're going.

Hopefully, if not this year, then maybe next year, but when we get back out on the court together, it's not going to be new. So that's great and we know what we can do. I think that gives us both confidence.

Q. You have such a good read on the game and of other players. Wondering how your time in the booth analyzing other players for Tennis Channel has helped in this comeback?

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: I think it was really important because it allowed me to look at the game in a different way, having to take myself out of, like, what I would do and just talk about what's actually happening. So, like, I couldn't put my personal, you know, feelings in it.

I think it just gave me an opportunity to really kind of see the game and be in that, you know, while being away. So I was kind of in it but not, you know. I think that was really helpful for me.

So, yeah, it gave me an opportunity to be a little bit more analytical and to see patterns of play and, you know, see what works for certain players and what they do and how they operate under pressure situations.

I was like, Okay, I'm going to try that, or, I don't think I can do that. Just trying to be more open to adapt to see what the best players in the world are doing and see if I could do that and implement that in my game.

Q. Talking about the trophy ceremony, saying how you earned your way to be here, do you feel it resonated with a lot of people, given your journey in your career and here? The deeper significance behind that, if any.

TAYLOR TOWNSEND: No, it's not literally earn my way to be here. I wasn't given, you know, anything. I really had to work my ass off to get here and to be able to play at this level.

That's just point-blank, period. I have never been able to say that with this conviction ever in my career. It gives me the confidence to be able to know I can be out here with anybody. To be able to do it so soon within a year, like, that just gives me so much more confidence to know like where I can go as I continue to build, as I continue to get more matches.

It's no hidden meaning, like I meant what I said, I said what I meant. You know, that's it. People can read into it however they want, but, you know, it's no accident that I'm here.