McCartney Kessler explained

McCartney Kessler
Birth Date:8 July 1999
Birth Place:Calhoun, Georgia, U.S.
College:University of Florida
Careerprizemoney:US$ 570,482
Singlestitles:1
Highestsinglesranking:No. 63 (August 26, 2024)
Currentsinglesranking:No. 73 (October 21, 2024)
Australianopenresult:2R (2024)
Frenchopenresult:Q1 (2024)
Wimbledonresult:1R (2024)
Usopenresult:1R (2024)
Doublestitles:0
Highestdoublesranking:No. 180 (April 8, 2024)
Currentdoublesranking:No. 322 (October 7, 2024)
Usopendoublesresult:1R (2024)
Updated:21 October 2024

McCartney Kessler (born 8 July 1999) is an American tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of No. 63 in singles, achieved on 26 August 2024, and No. 180 in doubles, set on 8 April 2024.[1] [2] Kessler won her first WTA Tour title at the 2024 Tennis in the Land in Cleveland.

Early life

From Calhoun, Georgia, her parents, Carl Kessler and Julie Driggers, played collegiate tennis at University of Central Florida. Her brother McClain Kessler also played collegiate tennis in Florida.[3]

Kessler attended Calhoun High School.[4]

College career

Kessler signed on to the University of Florida on a tennis scholarship to play collegiate tennis for the Florida Gators in November 2017.[5] [6]

Career

Juniors

Kessler won the U16 doubles title at the Orange Bowl with Emma Kurtz in 2015.[7]

2023: First ITF Circuit title

Partnering with Alana Smith, Kessler won her first $60k tournament in September 2023 at the Central Coast Pro Open in Templeton, defeating Jessie Aney and Jaeda Daniel in the final.

2024: Major, WTA Tour & 1000 debuts, first WTA 125 & 250 titles

Kessler made her WTA Tour debut at the Auckland Open after qualifying.[8]

For her major debut, she received a wildcard at the Australian Open[9] [10] after winning the USTA’s Wild Card Challenge, and reached the second round, recording her first major match win over qualifier Fiona Ferro. She lost in the second round to Linda Nosková.[11] In February, she won the biggest title of her career to that date at the WTA 125 in Puerto Vallarta.[12]

In March, she received a wildcard for the Indian Wells Open making there her WTA 1000 debut.[13] In April, she entered the main draw of the WTA 500 Charleston Open as a lucky loser, making her debut at this level.

She qualified for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships making her debut at this Grand Slam tournament.[14]

Following winning the W100 title in Landisville, Pennsylvania, she reached the top 100 on 12 August 2024.[15] [16] [17]

At the Tennis in Cleveland where she entered as a wildcard, she reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal by defeating fellow wildcard Katrina Scott and upsetting fourth seed Wang Xinyu for her first top 50 win.[18] Next, she defeated Arantxa Rus in straight sets to reach her first tour semifinal.[19] Kessler reached her first final with a come-from-behind three-set victory over fifth seed Anastasia Potapova, for her second top 50 win[20] and won her maiden career title defeating top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, her third top 50 win in this tournament.[21] She became the first American and also the first wildcard to reach the final in Cleveland and win the title at that tournament.

She also received a wildcard for the US Open making her debut at her home slam,[22] losing in the first round to 19th seed Marta Kostyuk.[23]

Grand Slam performance timeline

Singles

WTA Tour finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)

Legend
Grand Slam (0–0)
WTA 1000 (0–0)
WTA 500 (0–0)
WTA 250 (1–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–0)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoor (1–0)
Indoor (0–0)

WTA Challenger finals

Singles: 1 (1 title)

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
W100 tournaments (1–0)
W60/75 tournaments (2–0)
W15 tournaments (0–1)
Resultclass=unsortableW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentclass=unsortableScore
Loss0–1Oct 2021ITF Lubbock, United StatesW15Hard Adriana Reami6–7(6), 1–6
Win1–1Oct 2023Georgia's Rome Open, USW60Hard (i) Grace Min6–2, 6–1
Win2–1Jan 2024Georgia's Rome Open, USW75Hard (i) Liv Hovde6–4, 6–1
Win3–1Aug 2024Landisville Tennis Challenge, USW100Hard Olivia Gadecki4–6, 6–2, 6–4

Doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner–ups)

Legend
W60 tournaments (2–1)
W25 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–2)
Clay (1–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–0Apr 2023ITF Jackson, USW25Clay Jaeda Daniel Allura Zamarripa
Maribella Zamarripa
1–6, 6–1, [10–5]
Loss1–1Jun 2023ITF Sumter, USW60Hard Yuliia Starodubtseva Maria Mateas
Anna Rogers
4–6, 7–6(3), [6–10]
Loss1–2Jul 2023Evansville Classic, USW60Hard Yuliia Starodubtseva Maria Kononova
Veronika Miroshnichenko
3–6, 6–2, [8–10]
Win2–2Sep 2023ITF Templeton Pro, USW60Hard Alana Smith Jessie Aney
Jaeda Daniel
7–5, 6–4

Notes and References

  1. Web site: McCartney Kessler. wta. 24 August 2023.
  2. Web site: McCartney Kessler. itf. 24 August 2023.
  3. Web site: THE KESSLER TENNIS FAMILY: AN AMERICAN SUCCESS STORY. College Tennis. 24 August 2023. Ed . Krass.
  4. Web site: Calhoun's McCartney Kessler in two Open Championship tennis finals. times free press.com. 24 August 2023. June 11, 2017. Tori. McElhaney.
  5. Web site: M.Kessler. Florida Gators. August 24, 2023.
  6. Web site: College Signing: Calhoun's Kessler signs to play tennis at Florida. apnews.com. 24 August 2023. Alex. Farrer. November 11, 2017.
  7. Web site: Calhoun's Kessler wins Orange Bowl Tennis doubles title. allongeorgia. 24 August 2023. December 30, 2015.
  8. Web site: Photos: The players contesting their first WTA main draw in 2024 .
  9. Web site: Saville, Kubler, McCabe among latest AO wildcards . 5 January 2024.
  10. Web site: Aussie Open 2024's Slam debuts: Korneeva, Seidel, Starodubtseva and more.
  11. Web site: Noskova holds off Kessler to advance in Melbourne. TennisMajors. 24 August 2024.
  12. Web site: Kessler captures WTA 125 Puerto Vallarta title. Women's Tennis Association. 29 August 2024.
  13. Web site: Emma Raducanu, Paula Badosa Headline Full List of 2024 Wild Cards. 1 March 2024.
  14. Web site: Katie Volynets, Robin Montgomery among four U.S. women to qualify at Wimbledon. 27 June 2024. 30 June 2024.
  15. News: McCartney Kessler rallies for championship at Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge. 12 August 2024.
  16. Web site: Photos: McCartney Kessler and all the Top 100 breakthroughs of 2024. 12 August 2024.
  17. Web site: Rankings Watch: Anisimova back inside Top 50, Shnaider cracks Top 20. 13 August 2024. 13 August 2024.
  18. Web site: Kessler upsets Wang Xinyu for first Top 50 win and WTA quarterfinal debut. 21 August 2024.
  19. Web site: Cleveland Open: Kessler powers into semi-finals. TennisMajors. 24 August 2024.
  20. Web site: Top seed Haddad Maia, first-time finalist Kessler to meet in Cleveland final. Women's Tennis Association. 24 August 2024.
  21. Web site: American wild card Kessler upsets top seed Haddad Maia to win Cleveland. Women's Tennis Association. 24 August 2024.
  22. Web site: Past women's champions Osaka, Andreescu headline 2024 US Open wild cards. 23 August 2024.
  23. Web site: Marta Kostyuk dominates in-form McCartney Kessler at the 2024 US Open. US Open. 28 August 2024.