Youth vs. experience has been the theme of the 2021 US Open, and the women’s doubles final will be no different.
American teenagers Coco Gauff, 17, and Catherine McNally, 19, are through to their first major final, where they will take on the veteran team of Samantha Stosur, 37, and Shuai Zhang, 32, who will be looking for its second Grand Slam doubles crown.
No. 11 seeds Gauff and McNally advanced after No. 5 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani were forced to retire, 6-6 (ret.). The Americans held four set points in a tightly contested opening set, which saw them rally from a break down as they applied the pressure on Dabrowski and Stefani.
The Canadian and Brazilian duo, who began their highly successful partnership this summer, fought back from 5-4, 40-love to save all four set points they faced and send the match into a tiebreak. But with both teams on serve at 2-1, Stefani sustained a lower-body injury and went down in a heap. After receiving medical treatment and an off-court evaluation of the injury, she was unable to continue—sending "McCoco" to their first Grand Slam final.
Understandably, both players found it difficult to celebrate the achievement and they wished Stefani a speedy recovery after the match.
“It definitely means a lot [to be in a Grand Slam final], but for me, I definitely don’t want to win a match like this,” Gauff said, choking back emotions.
"Luisa is so nice, and it’s hard to see another opponent finish the match like that. I know if it was Cathy or if it was me, I don’t know what I would have done.
“I know they worked so hard, they’ve worked just as hard as us for this moment. I just wish her the best. As an athlete, we know how an injury like that is just heartbreaking. We should all just come together to support her through this.”
Their opponents in the final, 2019 Australian Open champions Stosur and Zhang, will be seeking their second shot at Grand Slam glory as a team after they toppled the No. 7 seeds Alexa Guarachi and Desirae Krawczyk, 6-2, 7-5. Both teams have booked their place in the championship match without dropping a set all fortnight long; Something will have to give when the two teams meet for the first time on Sunday.
For Stosur, a victory would bring a second US Open doubles trophy, 16 years after winning here in 2005 with Lisa Raymond. The Aussie will also be going for her fifth Grand Slam title overall: in addition to her 2011 victory at the US Open in singles, she owns three doubles titles.
“I can’t believe it was so long ago that I won the doubles here with Lisa Raymond,” Stosur said. “I was pretty young, 21 or something, and everything was amazing. And now to still be out here, having another chance with Shuai, is just incredible. I’ve had a great career, and to be in another Grand Slam final in New York is really, really exciting.”
After racing through the first set, No. 14 seeds Stosur and Zhang opened up a 5-1 lead in the second—only to see it erased as Guarachi and Krawczyk worked their way back. Stosur’s only double fault of the match gave the No. 7 seeds a crucial break back to make it 5-5 in the second set. But Zhang raised her level to avoid the tiebreak as the team broke serve from 0/40 to stop their opponents’ four-game run, and she served out the victory to reach the final.
