From the short track to the program

We’re in for a real clash of trajectories. On one side, Clara Tauson (Clara) is confirming her return to the top. Standing 1.82m tall, the Dane is the true heir to Caroline Wozniacki, but with far greater aggression. A former junior world No. 1, she is experiencing a second youth in 2026 after being held back by injuries. Coached by Kasper Elsvad, she just cruised through her round of 16 against Simona Waltert (6-3, 6-1), relying on terrifying firepower: she’s averaging 0.53 aces per game in the tournament.

On the other side of the net, McCartney Kessler (McCartney) is the revelation of the week. Coming from a tennis family (her parents Carl and Julie played at UCF), she broke through late after five seasons at the University of Florida. Often accompanied by her brother McClain, who acts as her coach, she swept aside Leylah Fernandez (6-3, 6-2) in the previous round, saving 86% of the break points she faced. McCartney shows exceptional resilience with a Dominance Ratio of 1.110, a sign that she manages to win more points than her opponents despite having less power.

Clara has the edge in raw efficiency, but McCartney excels under pressure. The Pressure Points Performance stats show that the American wins 44.5% of her return points in high‑stress situations. She has already beaten the Dane in the past (2023 US Open), and her counterpunching style is the perfect poison for big hitters. If McCartney manages to drag Clara into rallies, she has every chance of throwing her off her game.