As the sun glimmered against the horizon, a wild card and qualifier took the Grandstand Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Swaths of fans followed them to see the WTA No. 104.
It was Caty McNally’s homecoming.
Playing in her home region professionally for the first time since 2022, the Madeira native fist-pumped her way to victory over qualifier and WTA No. 153 Maddison Inglis, 6-2, 6-3, Aug. 8.
The event was meaningful to McNally, who returned to the court for the first time since 2022 after dealing with an elbow injury that eventually required surgery.
As McNally exited the court, she vomited. She said she was nervous all match, thinking about the time she didn’t know if she would be able to compete at this level again. But she persisted to improve to 2-4 all-time in the singles draw at the Cincinnati Open.
“I feel a lot better — I think I got it out of my system,” McNally said. “It was just a lot of things, waiting for the match today, nerves, haven’t played here in a long time (and) playing in front of a packed crowd, it meant a lot to me.”
McNally cruises past Inglis
Despite returning to a revamped facility, she appeared at home. Instantly, she had the crowd roaring as she punctuated a perfect first game with a center line-grazing ace.
Soon after, McNally logged her first break without dropping a point to take control of the first set 3-1. She closed that game with a powerful forehand down the line, leaving little room for Inglis to return it.
At 4-2, she staved off a break point before hitting a pair of well-struck serves to hold serve.
Then, McNally closed out the set moments after pulling level at 40-40 with an inside-out forehand. She was two-for-two on break points during the first set, logging just four unforced errors compared to her opponent’s 10.
In the second set, McNally had to save two break points in the first game, but she averted trouble, scoring an ace to take a 1-0 lead.
Like the first set, she secured a break to go ahead 3-1, despite it taking two tries the second time around.
After breaking Inglis’ serve again to take a commanding 5-1 lead, McNally slipped for the first time by dropping her serve. But she rebounded the next time she had it to take the set, 6-3.
In total, McNally won four of eight break points, while holding serve all but once when she had it.
McNally will meet WTA No. 32, McCartney Kessler, in the Round of 64.
McNally’s building’ form
McNally said it took her a while to regain trust in her body after the injury. In 2024, she attended the Cincinnati Open and did some media interviews, but had only just begun serving again. Against Inglis, she recorded five aces.
But after getting more matches under her belt, McNally said she feels more confident. She added that she has worked hard in the gym to develop her fitness.
“I just continue to keep pushing myself and do things that I wasn’t doing, I said a year ago, (but) even six months ago, I wasn’t sure I was really able to do,” McNally said.
McNally said she is “building” without any numerical goals in mind. She wants to stay healthy and continue to feel like her body can hold up every week.
Winning at smaller events like the Hall of Fame Open 2025 before arriving at the Cincinnati Open helped McNally find a “flow state,” where she is not thinking much.
McNally appeared to have found that state against Inglis.
“I can’t control winning and losing, but I feel like the path I’m on is giving me a lot of confidence, and I know I’m putting in a lot of work, so that within itself is building for me,” she said.
The sun had set by the time McNally claimed victory past 10 p.m. But the crowd was more awake than ever after seeing their hometown talent cruise past her opponent.
