Coco Gauff and Taylor Townsend are doing something for the first time in Madrid

Coco Gauff, 20, and Taylor Townsend, 28, are doing something they have never done before at a WTA tournament. They are playing doubles together. The All-American duo are accomplished in both singles and doubles so they should be fun to watch.

Gauff has played doubles since the beginning of her professional career. She started out playing with Caty McNally. The young pair was nicknamed "McCoco." However, most of her time and success in recent years has come from her partnership with Jessica Pegula. Their last doubles win was at the 2023 Miami Open against Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez.

Gauff and Pegula have been limited in their doubles play in 2024. Injuries to Pegula and scheduling differences are the culprits. Both have expressed an interest in playing doubles together in the Paris Olympics so they hopefully will get some clay court doubles match play soon.

Taylor Townsend can play and win doubles with anyone

Name a top female tennis player, and Taylor Townsend has probably played doubles with her. Leylah Fernandez was her partner for most of 2023; the pair were the Miami Open and French Open finalists.

She won the 2023 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati with Alycia Parks. That was the first time she and Parks played together. Townsend has also won three straight Adelaide International doubles titles with three partners: Asia Muhammad, Luisa Stefani, and Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Townsend has also paired with Caty McNally and Madison Keys at other events. Though she is climbing the ranking in singles, currently at 58th, she sits at No. 11 in doubles. She is best known for her doubles play because of her success on all surfaces and with partners who play different tennis styles.

Hopefully, Gauff and Townsend have success in Madrid. Perhaps they can advance far enough to face another all-American team, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin, the current Miami Open champions. In the meantime, we can expect to see Gauff and Townsend show off their athleticism and shotmaking ability on the same side of the court for a nice change of pace.

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