CoCo Vandeweghe, 31, ends career at US Open with opening doubles loss

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Watch Vandeweghe in 'My Tennis Life'

John Isner and Jack Sock aren’t the only U.S. tennis players hanging up their racquets at this year’s US Open.

Countrywoman CoCo Vandeweghe has joined the retirement club. After losing her qualifying opener last week, the New York native went down alongside Sofia Kenin in the first round of the women’s doubles event Wednesday night to Cristina Busca and Alexandra Panova, 7-6 (7), 6-4, to end her career.

Vandeweghe became a major champion at Flushing Meadows five years ago when she teamed up with Ashleigh Barty to topple Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in a final-set tiebreaker. Fifteen years prior, she celebrated winning the girls’ singles event.

Her banner year was no doubt 2017. Vandeweghe knocked out top-ranked Karolina Pliskova in Arthur Ashe Stadium to join eventual champion Sloane Stephens, runner-up Madison Keys and Venus Williams in an all-American semifinal lineup. She had earlier broken through at the Australian Open by taking out another world No. 1, Angelique Kerber, and followed that victory up by ousting seventh-ranked Garbiñe Muguruza in the quarterfinals before being halted by Williams.

Vandeweghe also reached her second Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2017, but her greatest triumph was guiding her nation to the BJK Cup (formerly Fed Cup) crown by winning all three of her matches during the finals weekend, including a decisive doubles rubber with Shelby Rogers, to edge Belarus. Vandeweghe notably capped off a perfect 8-0 record in the women’s team competition that year.

Now 31, Vandeweghe finishes with career-high rankings of No. 9 in singles and No. 14 in doubles. She won two singles titles, four doubles trophies and was the runner-up in mixed doubles at the 2016 Australian Open (Horia Tecau) and 2016 US Open (Rajeev Ram).

A 2016 Olympian, Vandeweghe was recognized for her career achievements during Tuesday’s night session.