McNally discusses her struggles with injuries: "In 2023, I played the grass season in great pain, I was very unhappy"

From distress to relief: after months of suffering and a dreaded surgery, Caty McNally finally finds her smile again. The American, former world No. 54, recounts her battle against pain and her return to the circuit.

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Adrien Guyot

le 18/12/2025 à 10h13

2 min to read

Mcnally Caty

Currently ranked 85th in the world, Caty McNally is trying to regain her best form. The American reached her career-high ranking in 2023 (54th in the WTA), before being halted by injuries. At the WTA 125 in Paris that year, she managed to qualify for the final.

However, she had to withdraw before facing Diane Parry, and then she subsequently pulled out of Roland-Garros in the same breath. The fault lay with a hamstring injury sustained against Katie Volynets during her semi-final in the capital.

Returning for the grass-court tour, McNally was then eliminated in the first round by Jodie Burrage. Still recovering from her leg injury, the American saw her shoulder pain, which had appeared during the WTA 1000 in Rome a few weeks earlier, resurface. The beginning of a long rehabilitation period for her, who would not play again after Wimbledon until January 2024, six months later.

"Wimbledon 2023 was undoubtedly the lowest point of my career"

"Everything started to accelerate after Paris in 2023. I decided to consult doctors, and that was a whole process in itself. You know, everyone has their own way of doing things and their own opinions.

Some tell you that the chances of recovery with a certain treatment are such and such a percentage. Others give you a different percentage regarding the actual effectiveness of the treatment. It's frustrating. I learned a lot.

Wimbledon 2023 was undoubtedly the lowest point of my career. I just remember playing there, in an incredible place, without feeling any joy.

I played the grass season in great pain, I was very unhappy and I was completely obsessed with having tape all over my body. I had been told I would never need surgery.

"You want to try to follow the most cautious path"

And then the doctor told me: 'You should start looking for a surgeon.' Mentally, it was very difficult, because I felt like I had wasted eight months of my career when I was in a very good moment. I didn't want to embark on surgery or anything else right away. You never want that. You want to try to follow the most cautious path.

But we reached a point where we could continue to follow the conservative path again and again. However, every six to eight months, I had to get tested again. And it could hurt again. For me, it wasn't worth it," McNally stated for the official WTA website.

After surgery in early 2024, she returned to competition at the end of the year, and was finally able to play a full season in 2025. This year, she won the WTA 125 tournaments in Newport and the W 100 in Evansville. She now hopes to triumph on the main tour, as she has yet to win any WTA title.