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CITI OPEN

August 3, 2019

Washington D.C.

C. MCNALLY, C. GAUFF/F. Stollar, M. Sanchez

6-2, 6-2

Q. What do you like about playing with one another?
COCO GAUFF: For me, for Caty, it's her positive energy. She's always to positive. I know today she wasn't able to pull it off, but her attitude was so positive, you wouldn't even know.

CATY McNALLY: My favorite thing about Coco is honestly she's just so laid back, so silly, I think, and super easy to get along with.

Q. You guys -- I don't know what your thoughts were at the beginning of this tournament, what you expected you could do, but you guys sort of dominated your way, kind of cruised, at least on paper. I'm curious if you look back at your matches you put together here and are at all surprised or impressed with yourselves about how you handled this WTA field?
CATY McNALLY: I don't think we really looked at the scores really. I think we just kind of worried about ourselves every single match and our game plan. I think we just executed it really well, and that's what the scores show.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought this week was super good. Like we didn't even know we were playing together. Before the tournament we were lucky enough to get a wild card, and I'm glad that we were able to get that and we were able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Q. Were you guys waiting to find out on doubles? I don't know if it was an age rule concern, or what was the reason you guys waited until the last minute to enter?
COCO GAUFF: Well, for me honestly it was if I got into the tournament or not, so I didn't want to commit to a partner and then I didn't get in, so yeah.

Q. Mark at the trophy ceremony may have exaggerated, but he suggested it was within minutes of the doubles draw coming out that you confirmed. Do you guys recall what that process was in terms of timing?
CATY McNALLY: I think he's actually correct. I mean, it was pretty much a last-minute thing to play together. I was actually thinking about playing with someone else, and then once I knew that Coco was in, I decided to play with her. I just know that we're such a good doubles team, and we just have chemistry.

Q. I know you each have loftier goals, but nonetheless, a first WTA Tour title. This is a nice feather in the cap. I'm just curious what this means for each of you.
COCO GAUFF: I think for me, and I think for both of us, it means a lot. Obviously we want to do well in singles, but I think we just love competing in general, so whether it's singles or doubles, we want to win no matter what. So I think that we really get as nervous as we do in doubles as we do in singles because we just want to make the other one proud.

CATY McNALLY: Yeah, it means so much to both of us, obviously. I got my first main draw WTA singles and doubles win, and I wasn't even thinking this far. I was just taking it match by match, and I'm so happy that we were able to get the title.

Q. Caty, was it difficult coming off of your singles match earlier to get ready and get motivated for tonight, or did you just put it behind you and feel relaxed?
CATY McNALLY: I've been in this same situation before at French Open Juniors actually playing against Coco, and I only had about an hour break after to get ready for doubles. So I know how to mentally prepare and physically prepare for that, and I never want to let anyone down, especially Coco, so I brought all the energy, and I was ready to go.

Q. And then Coco, since your singles run ended early in the week and you could focus on doubles, did it feel any different? Did you feel a little less pressure, more relaxed just being able to focus on one discipline?
COCO GAUFF: For me not really. This whole week that we've been practicing early in the mornings, doing a singles practice and then coming back in the afternoon to do doubles practice, so I think like literally in general, I just love competing, so I want to always do well. And I think to be honest with you, I get more nervous in doubles than singles because you know you have another teammate that you don't want to let down.

Q. I've been walking around the grounds, and I've seen little girls talk about you, saying Coco and Caty. What does that mean for you?
CATY McNALLY: I think that just -- I don't know, that just means a lot, especially to me, and I'm sure it does to Coco. We now have a new nickname, McCoco, so we've been hearing that a lot. But just to see other people looking up to us, that was me when I was younger looking up to other people, older players, so that just means a lot.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, especially it means a lot to me, as well, because I know how much the Williams sisters meant to me when I was younger coming in, and I'm just super grateful and blessed that I'm able to be put in that position and be given this platform, and I just hope that Caty and I just make the kids proud.

Q. I think you used the word "surreal" when you were on court talking about this week. What was surreal about this? You guys played in front of pretty packed stands. I don't know if that's what you're referring to or just the overall experience?
CATY McNALLY: Well, pretty much everything was surreal. I went into this tournament with zero expectation, so I mean, just how I did result-wise was surreal, and then just the support, every time we walked out on court it was packed stands, so much support, and yeah, I mean, it just means a lot.

Q. I'm curious how comfortable you feel giving -- I'm guessing it's the first trophy speech for each of you. You seem like naturals. Is that something you've been planning for, rehearsing in front of the mirror for a while now, or is it just something that comes naturally to you?
COCO GAUFF: For me, I don't really rehearse, I just hope I don't mess up. I make sure I say the right things, but I think actually today when Maria and Fanny spoke, I told Caty, Dang, that was really good, I hope I don't mess up. I've still got work to do, but it's getting better.

Q. What are you guys going to do to celebrate your big win today?
COCO GAUFF: I think she's going to sleep.

CATY McNALLY: I have family and friends that came all the way from Cincinnati, but yeah, I'll get dinner with them.

COCO GAUFF: Me, I don't really know. I haven't really planned that far ahead.

Q. Caty, in the singles match, you had a trainer called out. I believe she was looking at your hip. What was going on there, and did it change your approach going into this doubles match after that result?
CATY McNALLY: No, it didn't change anything. I just had a hip injury. I needed to get it worked on, and no matter what it was, I'm never going to let Coco down, like I said. I'll always go out there and give my best, so yeah.

Q. US Open now you guys are now -- played two tournaments, left with trophies both times. Do you feel like a US Open title is also on the horizon?
COCO GAUFF: I mean, I don't put any expectations, but I honestly believe that we can. We can do whatever we want when we put our minds to it, so I'm not going to say, oh, let's just see what happens. I think our goal is to win it, and I think we're not going to expect anything, we're just going to expect to play our best, but I'm not going to say let's see how far we can go because I think to be honest the way we're playing we can go as far as we want.

Q. Is that main draw or is it qualifying?
COCO GAUFF: Right now we don't know yet.

CATY McNALLY: We don't know.

COCO GAUFF: I think all the wild cards pretty much get announced at the same time, but that's what we're hoping for.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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CITI OPEN

August 3, 2019

Coco Gauff

Caty McNally