American tennis player (born 1999)
McCartney Kessler Country (sports) United States Born (1999-07-08 ) July 8, 1999 (age 26) Calhoun, Georgia , U.S.Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) College University of Florida Prize money US$ 1,242,117 Career record 159–86 Career titles 3 Highest ranking No. 30 (June 30, 2025) Current ranking No. 32 (July 28, 2025) Australian Open 2R (2024 ) French Open 1R (2025 ) Wimbledon 1R (2024 , 2025 ) US Open 1R (2024 ) Career record 34–36 Career titles 1 Highest ranking No. 136 (July 21, 2025) Current ranking No. 136 (July 21, 2025) Australian Open 1R (2025 ) French Open 1R (2025 ) Wimbledon 2R (2025 ) US Open 1R (2024 ) Last updated on: 26 July 2025.
McCartney Kessler (born July 8, 1999) is an American tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of No. 30 in singles, and No. 136 in doubles, achieved in June and July 2025.[ 1] [ 2] Kessler has won three titles in singles and one in doubles on the WTA Tour .
Early life, college education[ edit ]
From Calhoun, Georgia , her parents, Carl Kessler and Julie Kessler (Driggers), played collegiate tennis at University of Central Florida . She has an older sister Mackenzie, who played club tennis at the University of Central Florida, and an older brother McClain Kessler, who played collegiate tennis at Florida.[ 3] [ 4]
Kessler attended Calhoun High School .[ 5]
Kessler signed on to the University of Florida on a tennis scholarship to play collegiate tennis for the Florida Gators in November 2017.[ 6] [ 7] At Florida, she was a three-time All-American and three-time First Team All-SEC player. She also earned the 2022 SEC Player of the Year Award, becoming the ninth player from University of Florida to earn the award.[ 8]
Kessler won the U16 doubles title at the Orange Bowl with Emma Kurtz in 2015.[ 9]
2024: Major & WTA Tour debuts and first title[ edit ]
Kessler made her WTA Tour debut at the Auckland Open after qualifying.[ 10] She lost in the first round to Lulu Sun .[ 11]
For her major debut, she received a wildcard for the Australian Open ,[ 12] [ 13] 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 .[ 14]
In February, she won the biggest title of her career to that date at the WTA 125 in Puerto Vallarta , defeating Taylah Preston in the final.[ 15]
In March, she received a wildcard from the Indian Wells Open making her WTA 1000 debut there,[ 16] losing to Nuria Párrizas Díaz in the first round.[ 17] In April, she entered the main draw of the WTA 500 Charleston Open as a lucky loser, making her debut at this level. She lost in the first round to Caroline Wozniacki .[ 18]
Kessler qualified for the Wimbledon , making her debut at this Grand Slam tournament,[ 19] losing to ninth seed Maria Sakkari in the first round.[ 20]
Following winning a W100 title in Landisville , Pennsylvania, she reached the top 100 on August 12, 2024.[ 21] [ 22] [ 23]
At the Tennis in Cleveland , she reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal by defeating fellow wildcard Katrina Scott [ 24] [ 25] and fourth seed Wang Xinyu for her first top 50 win.[ 26] [ 27] Next, she defeated Arantxa Rus in straight sets.[ 28] [ 29] Kessler reached her first final with a come-from-behind three set victory over fifth seed Anastasia Potapova , for her second top 50 win,[ 30] [ 31] and won her maiden Tour title defeating top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia .[ 32] [ 33]
She also received a wildcard for the US Open making her debut at her home slam,[ 34] losing in the first round to 19th seed Marta Kostyuk .[ 35]
2025: Top 30, Top 5 wins, WTA 1000 singles fourth round & doubles title[ edit ]
Kessler started her season at the Brisbane International , where she defeated Magda Linette ,[ 36] before losing to 15th seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round.[ 37]
The following week, she reached the final at the Hobart International with wins over seventh seed Rebecca Šramková ,[ 38] María Lourdes Carlé [ 39] top seed Dayana Yastremska [ 40] and sixth seed Elina Avanesyan .[ 41] [ 42] In the championship match, Kessler defeated second seed Elise Mertens in three sets to secure her second career title.[ 43] [ 44] As a result, she reached the top 50 at world No. 47 in the WTA singles rankings on 13 January.[ 45] [ 46]
In February, at the Dubai Open , Kessler defeated Amanda Anisimova in the first round[ 47] and then overcame world No. 3, Coco Gauff , to record her first win against a top-5 ranked player.[ 48] [ 49] She lost in the third round to Karolína Muchová in a match which went to a deciding set tiebreak.[ 50]
Kessler reached the final at the ATX Open and despite losing to top seed Jessica Pegula , she returned to the top 50, at world No. 48.[ 51] Alongside Zhang Shuai , she was also runner-up in the doubles at the same tournament, losing the championship match to Anna Blinkova and Yuan Yue .[ 52]
In June at the Nottingham Open , Kessler defeated top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia,[ 53] Zhu Lin ,[ 54] two-time defending champion Katie Boulter [ 55] and Rebecca Šramková to make it through to the final.[ 56] She also won the championship match against Yastremska, in straight sets, to claim her third career title. As a result, she reached the top 30 on 30 June 2025.[ 57]
Ranked No. 32 at the Canadian Open , she reached a WTA 1000 fourth round for the first time in her career upsetting world No. 5 and fourth seed, Mirra Andreeva , en route, her second top 5 win.[ 58] [ 59] At the same tournament she lifted her first doubles title and first at the WTA 1000 level with Coco Gauff , defeating world doubles No. 1 Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai .[ 60]
WTA 1000 tournaments [ edit ]
Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)[ edit ]
Finals by surface
Hard (2–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (1–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoor (3–1)
Indoor (0–0)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Opponent
Score
Win
1–0
Aug 2024
Tennis in the Land , US
WTA 250
Hard
Beatriz Haddad Maia
1–6, 6–1, 7–5
Win
2–0
Jan 2025
Hobart International , Australia
WTA 250
Hard
Elise Mertens
6–4, 3–6, 6–0
Loss
2–1
Mar 2025
ATX Open , US
WTA 250
Hard
Jessica Pegula
5–7, 2–6
Win
3–1
Jun 2025
Nottingham Open , UK
WTA 250
Grass
Dayana Yastremska
6–4, 7–5
Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)[ edit ]
Legend
Grand Slam (0–0)
WTA 1000 (1–0)
WTA 500 (0–0)
WTA 250 (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoor (1–1)
Indoor (0–0)
WTA Challenger finals [ edit ]
Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)[ edit ]
Legend
W100 tournaments (1–0)
W60/75 tournaments (2–0)
W15 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (3–1)
Clay (0–0)
Doubles: 4 (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)[ edit ]
Legend
W60 tournaments (2–1)
W25 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (1–2)
Clay (1–0)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score
Win
1–0
Apr 2023
ITF Jackson, US
W25
Clay
Jaeda Daniel
Allura Zamarripa Maribella Zamarripa
1–6, 6–1, [10–5]
Loss
1–1
Jun 2023
ITF Sumter, US
W60
Hard
Yuliia Starodubtseva
Maria Mateas Anna Rogers
4–6, 7–6(7–3) , [6–10]
Loss
1–2
Jul 2023
Evansville Classic , US
W60
Hard
Yuliia Starodubtseva
Maria Kononova Veronika Miroshnichenko
3–6, 6–2, [8–10]
Win
2–2
Sep 2023
ITF Templeton Pro , US
W60
Hard
Alana Smith
Jaeda Daniel Jessie Aney
7–5, 6–4
Wins against top 10 players [ edit ]
Kessler has a 2–4 record against players who were, at the time the match was played, ranked in the top 10
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^ "McCartney Kessler Earns ITA All-American Honors" . Florida Gators. Retrieved January 10, 2025 .
^ "Calhoun's Kessler wins Orange Bowl Tennis doubles title" . allongeorgia . December 30, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2023 .
^ "Photos: The players contesting their first WTA main draw in 2024" . Women's Tennis Association.
^ "New Zealand-born Sun backs up qualifying with main-draw win in Auckland" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Saville, Kubler, McCabe among latest AO wildcards" . Australian Open. January 5, 2024.
^ "Aussie Open 2024's Slam debuts: Korneeva, Seidel, Starodubtseva and more" . Women's Tennis Association.
^ "Noskova holds off Kessler to advance in Melbourne" . Tennis Majors. January 18, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024 .
^ "Kessler captures WTA 125 Puerto Vallarta title" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved August 29, 2024 .
^ "Emma Raducanu, Paula Badosa Headline Full List of 2024 Wild Cards" . bnpparibasopen.com. March 1, 2024.
^ "Indian Wells: Parrizas Diaz makes second round" . Tennis Majors. March 7, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Caroline Wozniacki storms to straight-sets victory against McCartney Kessler in Charleston Open first round" . Eurosport. Retrieved December 19, 2024 .
^ "Katie Volynets, Robin Montgomery among four U.S. women to qualify at Wimbledon" . tennis.com. June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024 .
^ "Wimbledon: Sakkari makes second round" . Tennis Majors. July 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024 .
^ "McCartney Kessler rallies for championship at Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge" . Lancaster Online. August 12, 2024.
^ "Photos: McCartney Kessler and all the Top 100 breakthroughs of 2024" . Women's Tennis Association. August 12, 2024.
^ "Rankings Watch: Anisimova back inside Top 50, Shnaider cracks Top 20" . Women's Tennis Association. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024 .
^ "Kessler holds off Scott in Cleveland wild-card clash" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Cleveland Open: Kessler reaches second round" . Tennis Majors. August 19, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Kessler upsets Wang Xinyu for first Top 50 win and WTA quarterfinal debut" . Women's Tennis Association. August 21, 2024.
^ "WTA roundup: McCartney Kessler secures top-50 win in Cleveland" . Reuters . August 22, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Cleveland Open: Kessler powers into semi-finals" . Tennis Majors. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024 .
^ "Wild card Kessler takes out Rus in Cleveland to reach first WTA semifinal" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Top seed Haddad Maia, first-time finalist Kessler to meet in Cleveland final" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved August 24, 2024 .
^ "Cleveland Open: Wildcard Kessler upsets Potapova to reach first WTA final" . Tennis Majors. August 23, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "American wild card Kessler upsets top seed Haddad Maia to win Cleveland" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved August 24, 2024 .
^ "Kessler defies odds, beats Haddad Maia to claim Cleveland Open title" . Tennis Majors. August 24, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Past women's champions Osaka, Andreescu headline 2024 US Open wild cards" . US Open. Retrieved August 23, 2024 .
^ "Marta Kostyuk dominates in-form McCartney Kessler at the 2024 US Open" . US Open. Retrieved August 28, 2024 .
^ "Brisbane Open: Kessler makes second round" . Tennis Majors. December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Brisbane Open: Putintseva makes last 16" . Tennis Majors. December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Hobart International: Kessler advances to second round" . Tennis Majors. January 6, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "WTA Hobart: Kessler beats Lourdes Carle to reach quarter-finals" . Tennis Majors. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Hobart International: Kessler moves into semi-finals" . Tennis Majors. January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2025 .
^ "Two-time champ Mertens reaches fourth Hobart final; to face Kessler" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved January 10, 2025 .
^ "WTA Hobart: Kessler through to second final with win over Avanesyan" . Tennis Majors. January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 10, 2025 .
^ "Kessler powers past Mertens in Hobart, wins second career title" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved January 11, 2025 .
^ "American Kessler beats Mertens to win Hobart International" . Reuters . Retrieved January 11, 2025 .
^ "Rankings Watch: Kessler cracks Top 50; Keys, Joint move up" . Women's Tennis Association. January 13, 2025.
^ "WTA Rankings Update: Aryna Sabalenka emulates Sharapova and Austin as Keys, Joint and Kessler make moves" . tennisuptodate.com. January 13, 2025.
^ "Kessler, Uchijima topple Doha finalists Anisimova, Ostapenko in Dubai" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved February 20, 2025 .
^ "McCartney Kessler upsets Coco Gauff at Dubai Championships" . ESPN. February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025 .
^ "Dubai takeaways: Kessler stuns Gauff for first Top 10 win" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved February 20, 2025 .
^ "Muchova overcomes Kessler in third-set tiebreak to make Dubai quarterfinals" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved February 20, 2025 .
^ "Rankings Watch: Arango and Joint surge into Top 100 after breakthrough runs" . March 3, 2025.
^ "Pegula tops Kessler in Austin for first title of 2025" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved March 3, 2025 .
^ "Kessler topples No. 1 seed Haddad Maia in Nottingham marathon" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved June 21, 2025 .
^ "Kessler holds off Zhu in Nottingham; makes first quarterfinal on grass" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved June 21, 2025 .
^ "Katie Boulter's bid for Nottingham treble ended by American McCartney Kessler" . The Independent. Retrieved June 21, 2025 .
^ "Kessler reaches third final of year in Nottingham" . WTATennis. Retrieved June 21, 2025 .
^ "Kessler defeats Yastremska in Nottingham, claims second title of year" . Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved June 22, 2025 .
^ "Alex de Minaur advances, Christopher O'Connell beats Stefanos Tsitsipas, Maya Joint eliminated from Canadian Open" . July 30, 2025.
^ "Kessler holds off Andreeva in Montreal for second career Top 10 win" . July 31, 2025.
^ "Gauff, Kessler kick off partnership with doubles crown at National Bank Open in Montreal" . August 6, 2025.