CoCo Vandeweghe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
CoCo Vandeweghe

Vandeweghe at the 2018 French Open
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Rancho Santa Fe, California
Born	(1991-12-06) December 6, 1991 (age 33) New York City, U.S.
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	2008
Retired	2023
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Craig Kardon
Prize money	US$8,225,494
Singles
Career record	341–288 (54.21%)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 9 (January 15, 2018)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (2017)
French Open	2R (2014, 2016, 2018)
Wimbledon	QF (2015, 2017)
US Open	SF (2017)
Doubles
Career record	128–111 (53.56%)
Career titles	4
Highest ranking	No. 14 (October 29, 2018)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (2016)
French Open	2R (2016)
Wimbledon	3R (2015, 2022)
US Open	W (2018)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2018)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	F (2016)
French Open	QF (2016)
Wimbledon	2R (2016)
US Open	F (2016)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (2017), record 13–8
Hopman Cup	F (2017)

CoCo Vandeweghe is an American former professional tennis player. She was born Colleen Mullarkey on December 6, 1991. CoCo was a junior US Open champion and became a top 10 player in singles. She won two major titles on the WTA Tour.

In 2017, CoCo reached the semifinals at two big tournaments called Grand Slams. She also made it to the final of the WTA Elite Trophy. This helped her reach her highest singles ranking, world No. 9, in January 2018. She also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon twice, in 2015 and 2017. CoCo also won a major doubles title at the 2018 US Open with her partner Ashleigh Barty.

Even though she mostly played singles, CoCo was also very good at doubles. In 2016, she played with Martina Hingis and reached the semifinals of the US Open. This helped her reach a career-high doubles ranking of No. 18. In 2018, she won her first Grand Slam title in doubles with Ashleigh Barty at the US Open. After that, they reached the semifinals at the 2018 WTA Finals, and CoCo's doubles ranking went up to No. 14. She also reached two Grand Slam mixed doubles finals in 2016, at the Australian Open with Horia Tecău and the US Open with Rajeev Ram.

CoCo's skills in both singles and doubles helped the U.S. team win the Fed Cup in 2017. This was the first time the U.S. team won since 2000. She was especially good on grass courts.

Early Life and Family

CoCo Vandeweghe comes from a family of athletes. Her mother, Tauna Vandeweghe, was an Olympic swimmer in 1976. CoCo's grandparents were also famous: her grandmother, Colleen Kay Hutchins, was Miss America in 1952, and her grandfather, Ernie Vandeweghe, played basketball for the New York Knicks. Her uncle, Kiki VanDeWeghe, and her grandmother's brother, Mel Hutchins, were also NBA basketball players.

CoCo started playing tennis with her older brother, Beau, when she was eleven. Before tennis, she tried other sports like basketball and wrestling. She became a professional tennis player in April 2008. CoCo describes herself as a "total California girl" and loves spending time at the beach with her family when she's not playing. She is also good friends with other American tennis players like Madison Keys, Irina Falconi, and Shelby Rogers.

Playing Style

CoCo Vandeweghe was known for having one of the strongest serves in tennis. In 2014, she hit 306 aces, which was the third-highest on the tour. She played very aggressively, meaning she liked to hit the ball hard and early. Her groundstrokes (hits from the back of the court) were powerful and flat, especially her forehand.

CoCo was also good at the net, often moving forward to finish points quickly and avoid long rallies. Her strong serve helped her stay mentally tough during matches. While her fitness and movement were sometimes seen as areas to improve, she worked hard on them. Her favorite shot was her forehand hit down the line, and she preferred playing on hard and grass courts. She was coached by several people during her career, including Robert Van't Hof, Adam Peterson, and Pat Cash.

Junior Career Highlights

As a junior player, CoCo Vandeweghe was coached by Guy Fritz, who is the father of tennis player Taylor Fritz. In 2008, she reached the singles final of the USTA Girls 18s national championship. She also won the doubles event with Jamie Hampton. These results earned her special entries (called wildcards) into the main draws of the singles and doubles events at the US Open.

CoCo didn't play many junior tournaments. She needed a wildcard to enter the 2008 US Open girls' singles tournament. However, she went on to win the championship without losing a single set! This was her last junior tournament. After this big win, her junior ranking rose to No. 15 in the world.

Professional Career Journey

Starting Out (2006–2009)

CoCo Vandeweghe made her first appearance on the WTA Tour at the San Diego Classic when she was just 14 years old. She lost in the first round. The next year, she played there again but had the same result.

In 2008, CoCo played in her first big tournament in Miami. At the US Open, where she won the girls' singles title, she also played in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time. She lost to the second-seeded player, Jelena Janković, in the first round.

In 2009, CoCo was invited to play in an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong with Venus Williams. They won the doubles match in the final. Later that year, she got her first win on the WTA Tour at the LA Women's Tennis Championships.

Breaking into the Top 100 (2010–2011)

Vandeweghe at 2010 US Open

In 2010, CoCo played at the Australian Open but lost early. She then won two smaller tournaments, which helped her ranking climb from outside the top 300 to inside the top 200.

At the San Diego Open in August, CoCo had a great run. She beat Vera Zvonareva for her first win against a top-ten player. She finished 2010 strong by reaching the quarterfinals of a big tournament in Tokyo. In 2011, she reached the quarterfinals in Memphis, which helped her enter the WTA top 100 for the first time. She also won her first main draw match at a Grand Slam at the US Open.

First WTA Final (2012–2013)

CoCo had a slow start in 2012. However, she gained momentum during the grass-court season. She qualified for Wimbledon but lost in the first round. At her next tournament, the Stanford Classic, CoCo made it to her first WTA final. She upset a higher-ranked player before losing to the top-seeded Serena Williams. She was the first "lucky loser" (a player who gets into the main draw after someone else pulls out) to reach a final in many years. This result lifted her to a career-high ranking of No. 69.

In 2013, her ranking dropped, but she started to improve by reaching the quarterfinals at the Stanford Classic again. She also qualified for the US Open and won her first-round match.

First WTA Title and Top 50 (2014)

Vandeweghe 2014

CoCo started 2014 by playing in Auckland and the Australian Open. At the Indian Wells Open, she got her first singles win of the year. She had a strong performance in Miami, beating several good players before losing to Serena Williams. This helped her reach a career-high ranking of No. 82. At the French Open, she won her first-round match in Paris for the first time.

CoCo had an amazing grass-court season. At the Topshelf Open, she won her first WTA singles title! She beat many players, including Zheng Jie in the final. During that week, she hit 81 aces. This win helped her ranking rise to No. 51. A few days later at Wimbledon, she continued her winning streak. After a great performance at the Rogers Cup, her ranking rose to No. 38, putting her in the top 40 for the first time. She finished 2014 ranked No. 39, marking her best season yet.

Grand Slam Quarterfinal (2015)

CoCo Vandeweghe, 2015

In 2015, CoCo achieved her best Grand Slam result at the Australian Open, reaching the third round. Just before the French Open, she started working with a new coach, Craig Kardon, who had coached many famous players.

She then had an even better Grand Slam result at Wimbledon, reaching the quarterfinals. She beat several seeded players before losing to Maria Sharapova in a tough three-set match. In doubles, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinals at the US Open with Anna-Lena Grönefeld.

More Titles (2016)

CoCo Vandeweghe at the 2016 French Open

CoCo had a tough start to 2016, losing early in several tournaments. However, she found success in doubles at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals. She also made it to the mixed doubles final with Horia Tecău.

In March, CoCo won her first doubles title with Bethanie Mattek-Sands at Indian Wells. They beat many top teams to win the championship. She also helped the US team win their Fed Cup match, which meant they would return to the World Group in 2017.

CoCo found her best form during the grass-court season. She won her second WTA singles title at the Rosmalen Open. This was her second time winning that tournament, having won it in 2014. After this, her ranking rose to a career-high of No. 30. At Wimbledon, she reached the second week for the second year in a row.

Top 10 Breakthrough and Fed Cup Champion (2017)

CoCo Vandeweghe, 2017

At the Australian Open, CoCo had an amazing run. She defeated the defending champion and world No. 1, Angelique Kerber, in straight sets. This was her first win against a No. 1 player. She then beat another seeded player to reach her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal. There, she played against Venus Williams in a very exciting match, but lost in three sets. After this tournament, CoCo entered the top 20 for the first time.

At the Wimbledon Championships, she reached the quarterfinals for the second time in three years. At the Stanford Classic, CoCo reached the final again, but lost to Madison Keys.

At the US Open, CoCo reached her third Grand Slam quarterfinal of the year. She then surprised everyone by beating the top seed and world No. 1, Karolina Plisková, to reach her second major semifinal. She lost to Madison Keys again in the semifinal. After the US Open, her ranking rose to a career-high of No. 16. She finished the season by reaching the final of the Elite Trophy. This result helped her break into the top 10 for the first time, ending the year as world No. 10.

US Open Doubles Champion (2018)

At the Australian Open, CoCo was eliminated in the first round. She faced some challenges during the match, including a warning for delaying play. She later explained that she was dealing with a severe virus.

CoCo returned to the tour later in the year. At the Miami tournament, she teamed up with Ashleigh Barty for the first time in doubles. They won their first doubles title together, beating many top teams along the way.

During the clay-court season, CoCo reached the final at a tournament in Germany, but lost to Karolina Plisková. She then faced an injury to her right ankle during her Wimbledon match, which kept her out of play for a while.

CoCo made her comeback at the US Open. Although she lost in singles, the US Open became a huge success for her in doubles. She and Ashleigh Barty surprised everyone by winning their first Grand Slam title in doubles! They won all their matches in two sets on their way to the final. In the final, they defeated Tímea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in a thrilling three-set match.

Injury and Comeback (2019)

At the start of 2019, CoCo had to withdraw from several tournaments, including the Australian Open, because of her ankle injury from Wimbledon 2018. This injury kept her out for ten months.

CoCo made her return in July at the Silicon Valley Classic. Her singles ranking had dropped significantly. She won her first match since June 2018. After her comeback match, CoCo shared that her ankle problem was diagnosed as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a nerve condition. She was defeated by a top 10 player in the second round. In August, she reached the doubles semifinals at a tournament in Cincinnati.

In September, CoCo reached her first final of 2019 at a smaller tournament. In November, she made it to the final of the Houston Challenger, which was her biggest final since her injury, but she lost in two close sets.

Later Career and Retirement (2021–2023)

In 2021, CoCo reached her first singles semifinal in three years at the Birmingham Classic. She also played at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. In 2022, she made it into the main draw at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships as a lucky loser.

In 2023, CoCo reached the main draw of the first Texas Open and won her first-round match. In August, CoCo Vandeweghe announced that she was retiring from professional tennis. The 2023 San Diego Open was her final tournament. In doubles, she teamed up with Danielle Collins and they reached the final.

World TeamTennis Involvement

CoCo Vandeweghe has played ten seasons with World TeamTennis (WTT), which is a unique team-based tennis league. She first played with the Sacramento Capitals in 2009. She also played for the Boston Lobsters, Orange County Breakers, Philadelphia Freedoms, and the San Diego Aviators.

In the 2020 WTT season, she played women's doubles for the San Diego Aviators with Nicole Melichar. Both players were later traded to the New York Empires. The Empires went on to win the 2020 WTT Championship, and CoCo was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the WTT Finals!

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance Timelines

Singles

Doubles

Mixed Doubles

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Doubles: 1 (title)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	2018	US Open	Hard	Ashleigh Barty	Tímea Babos Kristina Mladenovic	3–6, 7–6(7–2), 7–6(8–6)

Mixed Doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2016	Australian Open	Hard	Horia Tecău	Elena Vesnina Bruno Soares	4–6, 6–4, [5–10]
Loss	2016	US Open	Hard	Rajeev Ram	Laura Siegemund Mate Pavić	4–6, 4–6

See also

In Spanish: Coco Vandeweghe para niños