Christina McHale

Christina Marietta McHale (born May 11, 1992) is an American tennis player. Her highest-ever WTA rankings are No. 24 in singles and No. 35 in doubles.

Known for an aggressive baseline game, McHale has been recognized by The New York Times for her "booming" groundstrokes and fast footwork. She has reached the third round of all four Grand Slam tournaments, and has represented the United States in Fed Cup and Olympic competitions. In September 2016, McHale won her first WTA title at the Japan Women's Open.

Christina is the daughter of John and Margarita McHale. Her father John is an Irish American, while her mother Margarita was born in Cuba. She resided at 56 Locust Avenue in Dumont, New Jersey until she was three years old. Her family lived in Hong Kong from the time she was three until she was eight, and she speaks a degree of Mandarin Chinese, along with fluent Spanish. In 2000, the McHale family returned to the United States and bought a home for $720,000 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. In June 2006, she graduated from Upper School of the Englewood Cliffs Public Schools as the eighth-grade valedictorian.

For her freshman year of high school, she attended the Academy of Law and Public Safety within Dwight Morrow High School. At the age of 15, she left home to train at the USTA Training Center headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. She was homeschooled through Kaplan Online High School since age 15. Her sister Lauren played collegiate tennis at UNC-Chapel Hill and is married to ATP Tour player Ryan Harrison.

McHale began professional training at the USTA Training Center in Carson, California.

2009

McHale was granted a wild card into the main draw of the Australian Open where she lost a three-set match in the first round to Jessica Moore.

In March, McHale played at the 25k ITF tournament in Redding, California. She was defeated in the first round by seventh seed Kimiko Date-Krumm. Playing in Miami at the Sony Ericsson Open, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Anastasiya Yakimova.

Competing at the 25k tournament in Szczecin, Poland, McHale advanced to the semifinal round where she was defeated by Stephanie Gehrlein. Seeded fourth at the 10k ITF tournament in Alkmaar, McHale lost in her quarterfinal match to qualifier Laura Pous Tió. Coming through qualifying at the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by Olga Puchkova. Playing in Connecticut at the Pilot Pen Tennis, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Yanina Wickmayer. Entering as a wildcard at the US Open, McHale won her first Grand Slam match by beating Polona Hercog in the first round. She was defeated in the second round by twenty-ninth seed, former world number one, and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova.

In Saguenay, Canada at the Challenger de Saguenay, McHale lost in the second round to Anastasia Pivovarova. At the USTA Tennis Classic of Troy in Troy, Alabama, McHale reached the final where she was defeated by qualifier and compatriot Alison Riske. Playing in Kansas City at the Q Hotel & Spa Women's Pro Tennis Classic, McHale lost in the second round to second seed and compatriot Varvara Lepchenko. At the Goldwater Women's Tennis Classic in Phoenix, McHale was defeated in the first round by Alison Riske. McHale's final tournament of the season was the Tevlin Women's Challenger in Toronto. She lost in the second round to Alexandra Stevenson.

McHale ended the year ranked 218.

2010

McHale started her 2010 season by playing at a 25k ITF tournament in Plantation, Florida. Seeded seventh, she lost in her quarterfinal match to top seed Maret Ani. At the 25k ITF tournament in Lutz, Florida, McHale reached the quarterfinal round where she was defeated by qualifier Florencia Molinero.

Representing the USA in the Fed Cup tie versus France, McHale only played one rubber; she lost to Pauline Parmentier. The USA ended up winning the tie over France 4-1. Playing a 25k tournament in Surprise, Arizona, McHale made it to the semifinal round where she was defeated by Abigail Spears. Playing as a wildcard at the BNP Paribas Open, McHale lost in the first round to compatriot Vania King. In Miami at the Sony Ericsson Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Katie O'Brien.

Coming through qualifying at the Family Circle Cup, McHale lost in the third round to thirteenth seed and compatriot Melanie Oudin. At the French Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by Varvara Lepchenko.

Playing in Rome at the Torneo Internazionale Femminile Antico Tiro a Volo, McHale reached the quarterfinal round where she lost to second seed Maria Elena Camerin. Seeded seventh at the Smart Card Open Monet+, McHale lost in her quarterfinal match to second seed and eventual champion Patricia Mayr-Achleitner. Seeded fourth at the Grapevine Women's Tennis Classic, McHale was defeated in the first round by Julia Glushko.

Getting past the qualifying rounds at the Bank of the West Classic, McHale advanced to the second round where she lost to top seed Sam Stosur. Competing in Vancouver at the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, McHale reached the semifinal round where she was defeated by sixth seed Virginie Razzano. Receiving a wildcard to play at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open, McHale won her first-round match when her opponent, fifteenth seed Nadia Petrova, retired due to heat illness. She lost in the third round to fourth seed and eventual champion Kim Clijsters. In Connecticut at the Pilot Pen Tennis, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Simona Halep. At the US Open, McHale lost in the first round to Vania King.

At the Challenge Bell in Quebec City, McHale reached the semifinal round where she was defeated by qualifier and eventual champion Tamira Paszek. Getting through qualifying at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, McHale lost in the first round to Flavia Pennetta. Seeded sixth at the 100k ITF tournament in Tokyo, McHale was defeated in the first round by Laura Robson. Entering the HP Open as a qualifier, McHale lost her first-round match to seventh seed Iveta Benešová. Seeded second at the 50k tournament in Toronto, McHale was defeated in the first round by Gabriela Dabrowski. Seeded eighth at the 75k tournament in Phoenix, McHale reached the quarterfinal round where she lost to Irina Falconi.

McHale ended the year ranked 115.

2011

McHale began the season at the Brisbane International. Despite losing in the final round of qualifying to Lucie Hradecká, she entered the main draw as a lucky loser. She was defeated in the first round by Roberta Vinci. In Sydney at the Medibank International Sydney, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Karolina Šprem. At the Australian Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by Carla Suárez Navarro.

At the Dow Corning Tennis Classic, McHale lost in the first round to Anastasia Pivovarova. Playing in Memphis at the Cellular South Cup, McHale was defeated in the first round by seventh seed Renata Voráčová. In Mexico at the Monterrey Open, McHale lost in the second round of qualifying to Jamie Hampton. Playing in Indian Wells at the BNP Paribas Open, McHale upset eleventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round. She was defeated in the third round by eighteenth seed Nadia Petrova. At the Sony Ericsson Open, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Jelena Dokić. Seeded fourth at the 25k ITF tournament in Pelham, Alabama, McHale reached the quarterfinal round where she was defeated by Caroline Garcia.

McHale started her preparation for the French Open at the Family Circle Cup. She advanced to the quarterfinals after victories over qualifier Heather Watson, eighth seed Alisa Kleybanova, and tenth seed Daniela Hantuchová. She lost in her quarterfinal match to third seed and 2007 champion Jelena Janković. During the Fed Cup tie against Germany, McHale lost both of her rubbers to Andrea Petkovic and Sabine Lisicki. Germany ended up winning the tie over the USA 5-0. Getting past qualifying at the Italian Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by second seed Francesca Schiavone. In Strasbourg at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Ahsha Rolle; however, she still entered the main draw but as a lucky loser. She was defeated in the first round by qualifier Mirjana Lučić. At the French Open, McHale lost in a first-round thriller to Sara Errani.

Coming through qualifying at the Torneo Internazionale Femminile Antico Tiro a Volo, McHale won the tournament beating Ekaterina Ivanova in the final.

McHale began her grass-court season at the Aegon Classic. She was defeated in the second round by seventh seed Sara Errani. In Eastbourne at the Aegon International, McHale fell in the second round of qualifying to Anabel Medina Garrigues. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale won her second Grand Slam match by defeating twenty-eighth seed Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. She lost in the second round to Tamira Paszek.

Starting her preparation for the US Open at the Bank of the West Classic, McHale was defeated in the second round by eighth seed Dominika Cibulková. At the Mercury Insurance Open, McHale reached the quarterfinal round where she lost to third seed and eventual champion Agnieszka Radwańska. Playing in Cincinnati at the Western & Southern Open, McHale stunned top seed Caroline Wozniacki in her second-round match. She was defeated in the third round by Nadia Petrova. At the New Haven Open at Yale, McHale upset sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round. She then lost in her quarterfinal match to top seed and three-time champion Caroline Wozniacki. Competing in New York at the US Open, McHale beat eighth seed Marion Bartoli in the second round. She was defeated in the third round by twenty-fifth seed Maria Kirilenko.

In Tokyo at the Toray Pan Pacific Open, McHale lost in the second round to tenth seed Peng Shuai. Sliding past qualifying at the China Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by eighth seed Marion Bartoli. McHale competed in her final tournament of the season at the HP Open. Seeded eighth, she lost in the first round to defending champion Tamarine Tanasugarn.

McHale ended the year ranked 42.

2012

McHale kicked off her 2012 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland. She lost in the second round to third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. At the Australian Open, McHale upset twenty-fourth seed Lucie Šafářová in the first round. She won her second-round match against Marina Erakovic. She was defeated in her third-round match by thirteenth seed Jelena Janković.

In February, McHale played in the Fed Cup tie against Belarus. She won both of her matches over Anastasiya Yakimova and Darya Kustova. In the end, the USA defeated Belarus 5–0. At the Open GDF Suez, McHale reached the second round where she lost to Yanina Wickmayer. Playing in Qatar at the Qatar Total Open, McHale reached the quarterfinal where she was defeated by fourth seed Agnieszka Radwańska. Seeded thirty-second at the BNP Paribas Open, McHale got a bye to the second round. She won her second-round match over Elena Vesnina. In the third round, she stunned third seed Petra Kvitová. McHale's run came to an end when she lost in the fourth round to eighteenth seed Angelique Kerber. McHale wrapped up March by playing at the Sony Ericsson Open. She was defeated in the second round by twenty-ninth seed Petra Cetkovská.

McHale started her clay-court season in Charleston at the Family Circle Cup. Seeded eleventh, she lost in the first round to Aleksandra Wozniak. She was then selected for the Fed Cup World Group Tie in Kharkiv, Ukraine. McHale won both of her rubbers over Lesia Tsurenko and Elina Svitolina. The USA went on to defeat Ukraine 5–0. At the Mutua Madrid Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by fifth seed Sam Stosur. In Rome at the Italian Open, McHale lost in the second round to second seed, defending champion, and eventual champion Maria Sharapova. At the Brussels Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by fourth seed Dominika Cibulková. Competing in Paris at the French Open, McHale won her first two rounds over qualifiers Kiki Bertens and Lauren Davis. She lost in the third round to seventh seed and defending champion Li Na.

Seeded seventh at the Aegon Classic, her first grass-court tournament of the year, McHale was defeated in the second round by Elena Vesnina. In Eastbourne at the Aegon International, McHale upset third seed Caroline Wozniacki in the first round. She lost in the second round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Seeded twenty-eighth at the Wimbledon Championships, McHale was defeated in the third round by eighth seed Angelique Kerber.

Seeded fifth at the Mercury Insurance Open, McHale reached the quarterfinal where she lost to top seed Marion Bartoli. Representing the USA at the Summer Olympics, McHale was defeated in the first round by eleventh seed Ana Ivanovic.

In Montreal at the Rogers Cup, McHale lost in her third-round match to Canadian wildcard Aleksandra Wozniak. At the Western & Southern Open, McHale retired from her first-round match against Chanelle Scheepers due to gastrointestinal illness. Seeded twenty-first at the US Open, McHale lost in the first round to Kiki Bertens.

In Beijing at the China Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by eleventh seed Ana Ivanovic. McHale played her final tournament of the season at the HP Open. Seeded third, she lost in the first round to eventual finalist Chang Kai-chen.

McHale ended the year ranked 33.

2013

McHale started her 2013 season at the ASB Classic. Seeded seventh, she lost in the opening round to Pauline Parmentier. At the Apia International Sydney, McHale was defeated in the first round by fourth seed Li Na. McHale's slump continued at the Australian Open where she fell in the first round to Yulia Putintseva.

In Paris at the Open GDF Suez, McHale recorded her first win of the year by defeating French wildcard Pauline Parmentier in the first round. She lost in the second round to third seed and last year finalist Marion Bartoli. At the Qatar Total Open, McHale suffered a double bagel defeat in the third round to top seed, defending champion, and eventual champion Victoria Azarenka. Playing in Dubai at the Dubai Tennis Championships, McHale lost in the second round of qualifying to Kurumi Nara. At the BNP Paribas Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by thirteenth seed Maria Kirilenko. In Miami at the Sony Open Tennis, McHale lost in the second round to fifteenth seed Roberta Vinci.

McHale began her clay-court season in Charleston at the Family Circle Cup. She was defeated in the first round by twelfth seed Varvara Lepchenko. At the Mutua Madrid Open in Madrid, McHale progressed through the qualifying event before falling in the second round to second seed and eventual finalist Maria Sharapova. Competing in Rome at the Italian Open, McHale defeated Karin Knapp in the first round; she lost in the second round to seventh seed Sara Errani. Seeded sixth at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, McHale was defeated in the first round by Lauren Davis. At the French Open, McHale lost her first-round match to Jana Čepelová.

In Eastbourne at the Aegon International, McHale was defeated in the first round by Yanina Wickmayer. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale lost in the second round to fifteenth seed and eventual champion Marion Bartoli.

McHale began her preparation for the US Open at the Bank of the West Classic. She was defeated in the first round by seventh seed Urszula Radwańska. In Washington, D.C. at the Citi Open, McHale lost in the first round to seventh seed, defending champion, and eventual champion Magdaléna Rybáriková. At the Rogers Cup, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Julia Glushko. In Ohio at the Western & Southern Open, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Lourdes Domínguez Lino. At the US Open, McHale won her first two rounds over Julia Görges and Elina Svitolina. In the third round, she faced thirteenth seed, Ana Ivanovic. After winning the first set, she served for the match at 5–4 up in the second set but was broken, and ultimately lost the match in three sets. Despite the loss, she earned praise for her fighting performance against the former world No. 1.

Playing in Quebec City at the Challenge Bell, McHale reached the semifinal where she was defeated by sixth seed Marina Erakovic. At the Generali Ladies Linz, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Stephanie Vogt. In Luxembourg at the BGL Luxembourg Open, McHale was defeated in the second round of qualifying by Katarzyna Piter. McHale's final tournament of the season was at the Internationaux Féminins de la Vienne. Seeded sixth, she lost in the first round to Heather Watson.

McHale ended the year ranked 68.

2014

McHale commenced her 2014 season at the ASB Classic. She lost in the first round to Garbiñe Muguruza. Getting through qualifying at the Apia International Sydney, McHale was defeated in the second round by second seed Petra Kvitová. At the Australian Open, McHale lost in the second round to tenth seed Caroline Wozniacki.

During the Fed Cup tie versus Italy, McHale played one rubber; she lost to Karin Knapp. In the end, Italy defeated the USA 3-1. Playing in Acapulco at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, McHale reached her first WTA final where she was defeated by top seed Dominika Cibulková. At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, McHale lost in the first round to qualifier Casey Dellacqua. Competing in Miami at the Sony Open Tennis, McHale was defeated in the second round by twenty-fourth seed Kaia Kanepi.

McHale got her French Open preparation underway at the Family Circle Cup. She lost in the first round to qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva. At the Mutua Madrid Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by eighth seed and eventual champion Maria Sharapova. Coming through qualifying in Rome at the Italian Open, McHale lost in the third round to Shuai Zhang. Playing in Strasbourg at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, her final tournament before the French Open, McHale reached the semifinal round where she was defeated by qualifier and eventual finalist Sílvia Soler Espinosa. At the French Open, McHale lost in the first round to thirty-second seed Elena Vesnina.

McHale started her grass-court season at the Aegon Classic. She was defeated in the second round by second seed Sam Stosur. In Eastbourne at the Aegon International, McHale fell in the second round of qualifying to Hsieh Su-wei. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale lost in the first round to Chanelle Scheepers.

Kicking off her US Open Series at the Citi Open, McHale upset fourth seed and compatriot Sloane Stephens in the first round. She was defeated in the second round by Vania King. In Montreal at the Rogers Cup, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Kiki Bertens. At the Western & Southern Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by ninth seed and eventual finalist Ana Ivanovic. Competing in New York at the US Open, McHale lost in her second-round match to sixteenth seed, former world number one, and two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka.

Seeded fourth at the first edition of the Hong Kong Tennis Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by Francesca Schiavone. At the Korea Open, McHale reached the semifinal round where she fell to fifth seed and eventual finalist Varvara Lepchenko. At the first edition of the Wuhan Open, McHale lost in the first round to tenth seed Jelena Janković. In Beijing at the China Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by fourteenth seed Flavia Pennetta. Seeded seventh at the Japan Women's Open, McHale lost in the first round to Luksika Kumkhum.

McHale ended the year ranked 54.

2015

McHale began her year at the Brisbane International. She lost in the first round to Mirjana Lučić-Baroni. In Hobart at the Hobart International, McHale retired from her first-round match against eighth seed Alison Riske due to a right shoulder injury. At the Australian Open, McHale won her first-round match over Stéphanie Foretz in a three set thriller. She was defeated in the second round by Carina Witthöft.

In March, McHale competed at the BNP Paribas Open. She lost in the second round to twentieth seed Alizé Cornet. Playing in Miami at the Miami Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by ninth seed Andrea Petkovic.

Beginning her clay-court season at the Family Circle Cup, McHale lost in the first round to qualifier Danka Kovinić. During the Fed Cup tie against Italy, McHale played one rubber; she was defeated by Flavia Pennetta. In the end, Italy won the tie over the USA 3-2. In Morocco at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, McHale lost in the second round to fourth seed and eventual champion Elina Svitolina. Coming through qualifying at the Mutua Madrid Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki. Entering the main draw as a qualifier at the Italian Open, McHale reached the quarterfinal round where she lost to fellow qualifier Daria Gavrilova. In Strasbourg at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, McHale was defeated in the first round by top seed and compatriot Madison Keys. At the French Open, McHale lost in the first round to qualifier Lourdes Domínguez Lino.

McHale started her grass-court season at the Aegon Open Nottingham. She was defeated in the second round by top seed Agnieszka Radwańska. At the Aegon Classic, McHale lost in the third round to Kateřina Siniaková. Coming through the qualifying rounds at the Aegon International, McHale was defeated in the first round by Camila Giorgi. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale lost in the second round to eighteenth seed and 2013 finalist Sabine Lisicki.

Beginning her preparation for the US Open at the Citi Open, McHale was defeated in the quarterfinal round by eventual finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Getting past qualifying at the Western & Southern Open, McHale lost in the first round to Camila Giorgi. McHale fell in the final round of qualifying at the Connecticut Open to Magdaléna Rybáriková. In New York at the US Open, McHale was defeated in her first-round match by Petra Cetkovská.

Seeded sixth at the Japan Women's Open, McHale reached the semifinal round where she lost to eventual finalist Magda Linette. At the Korea Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by second seed Anna Karolína Schmiedlová. Playing in Wuhan at the Wuhan Open, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Mariana Duque Mariño. At the China Open, McHale was defeated in the final round of qualifying by Lara Arruabarrena. Competing in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Tennis Open, McHale retired from her first-round match against Wang Yafan due to a left elbow injury. This tournament ended up being her final tournament of the season.

McHale ended the year ranked 64.

2016

McHale started her 2016 season at the ASB Classic. She lost in the second round to third seed Caroline Wozniacki. In Hobart at the Hobart International, McHale was defeated in the first round by fourth seed Monica Niculescu. However, she won her first WTA doubles title with Han Xinyun defeating Kimberly Birrell/Jarmila Wolfe in the final. At the Australian Open, McHale fell in her first-round match to fourth seed Agnieszka Radwańska.

As the top seed at the first edition of the Tennis Championships of Maui, McHale won the tournament beating compatriot Raveena Kingsley in the final. Seeded fourth at the Rio Open, McHale lost in the first round to qualifier Cindy Burger. In Mexico at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, McHale reached the semifinal where she was defeated by Dominika Cibulková. At the Monterrey Open, McHale retired from her second-round match against qualifier Nicole Gibbs due to dizziness. Playing in Indian Wells at the BNP Paribas Open, McHale stunned fourth seed Garbiñe Muguruza in her second-round match. She lost in the third round to twenty-sixth seed Sam Stosur. At the Miami Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by top seed, compatriot, and eight-time champion Serena Williams.

McHale began her clay-court season at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston. She lost in the first round to Lourdes Domínguez Lino. During the Fed Cup tie versus Australia, McHale won her only rubber played over Sam Stosur. In the end, the USA defeated Australia 4-0. Playing in Madrid at the Mutua Madrid Open, McHale was defeated in the third round by Irina-Camelia Begu. Coming through qualifying at the Italian Open, McHale got her first win over thirteenth seed Ana Ivanovic in the second round. She lost in the third round to top seed and eventual champion Serena Williams. At the Nürnberger Versicherungscup, McHale was defeated in the second round by seventh seed Anna-Lena Friedsam. In Paris at the French Open, McHale lost in the first round to French wildcard Myrtille Georges.

Beginning her grass-court season seeded eighth at the Aegon Open Nottingham, McHale was defeated in the second round by British qualifier Tara Moore. In Birmingham at the Aegon Classic Birmingham, McHale got into the main draw after winning three matches in qualifying. She lost in the second round to Coco Vandeweghe. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale won her first-round match over Daniela Hantuchová. In the second round, McHale had won the first set and led 2-0 in the third set before being defeated by top seed, defending champion, and eventual champion Serena Williams.

McHale's US Open preparation got underway at the Citi Open. She lost in the second round to compatriot Jessica Pegula. In Montreal at the Rogers Cup, McHale was defeated in the final round of qualifying by Kristína Kučová; however, she entered the main draw as a lucky loser. She lost in the second round to sixteenth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. At the Western & Southern Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by lucky loser Misaki Doi. Competing at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the US Open, McHale lost in the second round to seventh seed and last year finalist Roberta Vinci.

Seeded seventh at the Japan Women's Open, McHale won her first WTA singles title beating Kateřina Siniaková in the final. In Wuhan at the Wuhan Open, McHale was defeated in the final round of qualifying by compatriot Louisa Chirico. At the China Open, McHale lost in the first round to Daria Gavrilova. McHale's final tournament of the season was at the Tianjin Open. She was defeated in the first round by Evgeniya Rodina.

McHale ended the year ranked 45.

2017

McHale began the year at the Brisbane International. She beat Sara Errani in her first-round match. She lost in the second round to eventual finalist Alizé Cornet. Qualifying for the Apia International Sydney, McHale was defeated in the second round by second seed, 2013 champion, and eventual finalist Agnieszka Radwańska. At the Australian Open, McHale lost in the first round to Kristína Kučová.

Coming through qualifying at the Qatar Total Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by sixth seed Elena Vesnina. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, McHale won her first two rounds over thirteenth seed Kiki Bertens and Naomi Osaka. She lost her third-round match to seventh seed and eventual champion Elina Svitolina. Seeded fifth at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, McHale reached the semifinal where she was defeated by second seed Kristina Mladenovic. In March, McHale competed at the BNP Paribas Open. She lost in the first round to lucky loser Evgeniya Rodina. Despite taking the first set 6-0, McHale was defeated in her second-round match at the Miami Open by sixth seed Garbiñe Muguruza. Seeded eighth at the Monterrey Open, McHale lost in the first round to qualifier Tereza Martincová.

McHale began her clay-court season at the J&T Banka Prague Open. She was defeated in the first round by qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia. In Madrid at the Mutua Madrid Open, McHale lost in the first round to Spanish wildcard Lara Arruabarrena. Playing in Rome at the Italian Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by three-time champion Maria Sharapova. At the Internationaux de Strasbourg, McHale lost in the second round to fourth seed Carla Suárez Navarro. McHale was defeated in the first round at the French Open by eighth seed and 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

McHale started her grass-court season at the Aegon Open Nottingham. She lost in the second round to Maria Sakkari. At the Aegon Classic Birmingham, McHale was defeated in the first round by Coco Vandeweghe. McHale retired from her first-round match at the Aegon International Eastbourne against qualifier Duan Yingying. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale fell in the second round to ninth seed and 2012 finalist Agnieszka Radwańska.

As the top seed at the Sport11 Ladies Open, McHale lost in the first round to eventual finalist Danka Kovinić.

Seeded eighth at the Citi Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by Eugenie Bouchard. At the Rogers Cup, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Kirsten Flipkens. Playing in Ohio at the Western & Southern Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Petra Martić. Even though she lost in the final round of qualifying at the Connecticut Open, McHale still made it into the main draw but as a lucky loser. She lost in the first round to sixth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Competing in New York at the US Open, McHale beat nineteenth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her first-round match. She was defeated in the second round by Daria Kasatkina.

As the defending champion at the Japan Women's Open, McHale made it to the semifinal where she lost to qualifier and eventual champion Zarina Diyas. Seeded eighth at the Korea Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by qualifier Arantxa Rus. Coming through qualifying at the Wuhan Open, McHale lost in the second round to eventual champion Caroline Garcia. In Beijing at the China Open, McHale entered the draw as a qualifier. She stunned fifteenth seed and recent US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round. She was defeated in the second round by Sorana Cîrstea. At the Tianjin Open, McHale lost in her quarterfinal match to qualifier Sara Errani. McHale competed in her final tournament of the season at the Kremlin Cup. She was defeated in the first round by Lesia Tsurenko.

McHale ended the year ranked 63.

2018

McHale began her 2018 season at the ASB Classic. She lost in the first round to Taylor Townsend. Playing in Sydney at the Sydney International, McHale retired from her first round of qualifying match against Kateryna Bondarenko. At the Australian Open, McHale was defeated in the first round by Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

As the top seed at the first edition of the Oracle Challenger Series – Newport Beach, McHale lost in the first round to compatriot Jamie Loeb. At the Qatar Total Open in Doha, McHale was defeated in the final round of qualifying by Bernarda Pera. In Dubai at the Dubai Tennis Championships, McHale lost in the second round of qualifying to Sam Stosur. At the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, McHale was defeated in the first round by fifth seed Irina-Camelia Begu. Competing in California at the BNP Paribas Open, McHale lost in the first round to Kateřina Siniaková. At the Miami Open, McHale was defeated in the third round by third seed Garbiñe Muguruza.

McHale began her clay-court season at the Volvo Car Open. She lost in the second round to third seed and defending champion Daria Kasatkina. At the İstanbul Cup, McHale was defeated in the second round by seventh seed Irina-Camelia Begu. In Morocco at the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, McHale lost in the first round to lucky loser Magdalena Fręch. At the Mutua Madrid Open, McHale fell in the first round of qualifying to Kirsten Flipkens. In Rome at the Italian Open, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Kateřina Siniaková. At the Nürnberger Versicherungscup in Germany, McHale was defeated in the second round by eventual champion Johanna Larsson. At the French Open, McHale lost her first-round match to qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru.

In Eastbourne at the Eastbourne International, McHale was defeated in the final round of qualifying by Yulia Putintseva. At the Wimbledon Championships, McHale lost in the first round to Vera Lapko.

McHale started her US Open series at the Silicon Valley Classic in California. She was defeated in the first round by eventual finalist Maria Sakkari. Coming through qualifying at the Rogers Cup, McHale fell in the first round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. In Ohio at the Western & Southern Open, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Varvara Lepchenko. At the Connecticut Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Sam Stosur. Competing in New York at the US Open, McHale lost in the first round to qualifier and compatriot Francesca Di Lorenzo.

Playing in Quebec City at the Coupe Banque Nationale, McHale was defeated in the second round by eighth seed and eventual champion Pauline Parmentier. At the Guangzhou International Women's Open, McHale lost in the second round to fourth seed and last year finalist Aleksandra Krunić. In Wuhan at the Wuhan Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Polona Hercog. At the China Open, McHale fell in the final round of qualifying to Yulia Putintseva. Playing in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Tennis Open, McHale lost in the second round to sixth seed and eventual finalist Qiang Wang. Seeded eighth at the Mercer Tennis Classic in Macon, Georgia, McHale was defeated in the first round by compatriot Whitney Osuigwe. Seeded eighth at the RBC Pro Challenge, her final tournament of the season, McHale lost in the second round to compatriot Kayla Day.

McHale ended the year ranked 155.

2019

McHale started her season at the Brisbane International. She lost in the final round of qualifying to Australian wildcard Destanee Aiava. At the Australian Open, McHale failed to make the main draw since she was defeated in the final round of qualifying by Varvara Lepchenko.

Playing in Newport Beach at the Oracle Challenger Series – Newport Beach, McHale fell in the third round to second seed Tatjana Maria. At the Dow Tennis Classic, Mchale was defeated in her quarterfinal match by fourth seed and eventual finalist Jessica Pegula. Coming through qualifying at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, McHale reached the second round where she lost to third seed Donna Vekić. McHale qualified for the BNP Paribas Open beating Fanny Stollár and Vera Zvonareva. In the main draw, she beat thirtieth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her second-round match. She was defeated in the third round by compatriot and former world number one Venus Williams. At the Miami Open, McHale lost in the first round of qualifying to Mandy Minella. In Mexico at the Monterrey Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Kristína Kučová.

McHale started her clay-court season at the Copa Colsanitas. She lost in the first round to seventh seed Sara Sorribes Tormo. At the J&T Banka Prague Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Anna Kalinskaya. Playing in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France at the Open de Cagnes-sur-Mer, McHale won the tournament beating third seed Stefanie Vögele in the final. At the Empire Slovak Open, McHale made it to the semifinal where she lost to Anna Blinkova. In Paris at the French Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Francesca Di Lorenzo.

Despite losing in the final round of qualifying at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships, McHale made it into the main draw as a lucky loser. She lost in the first round to Polona Hercog. At the Mallorca Open, McHale was defeated in the first round of qualifying by Tereza Martincová. Even though she lost in the final round of qualifying, McHale entered the Wimbledon Championships as a lucky loser. She lost in the first round to British wildcard Harriet Dart.

McHale began her preparation for the US Open at the Citi Open. She upset seventh seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round. She was defeated in the second round by compatriot Caty McNally. At the Rogers Cup, McHale lost in the final round of qualifying to Ajla Tomljanović. As the top seed at the first edition of the Thoreau Tennis Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by qualifier Olga Govortsova. At the US Open, McHale lost in the second round of qualifying to Peng Shuai.

Seeded twelfth at the Oracle Challenger Series – New Haven, McHale was defeated in the third round by seventh seed and eventual champion Anna Blinkova. At the Japan Women's Open, McHale lost in the second round to second seed Veronika Kudermetova. Coming through qualifying at the Wuhan Open, McHale was defeated in the second round by Dayana Yastremska. In Beijing at the China Open, McHale came through qualifying. She beat two-time champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the first round. She lost in the second round to sixteenth seed Caroline Wozniacki. McHale played her final tournament of the season at the Tianjin Open. She was defeated in the first round by eighth seed Magda Linette.

McHale ended the year ranked 85.

2020

McHale kicked off her 2020 season at the ASB Classic. She lost in the second round to top seed and eventual champion, Serena Williams. Entering the Hobart International main draw after coming through qualifying, McHale was defeated in the first round by top seed Elise Mertens. At the Australian Open, McHale lost in the first round to thirteenth seed Petra Martić.

Seeded third at the Oracle Challenger Series – Newport Beach, McHale reached the quarterfinal where she was defeated by sixth seed and eventual finalist Stefanie Vögele. In Mexico at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, McHale lost her quarterfinal match to seventh seed and eventual champion Heather Watson. Seeded twelfth at the Oracle Challenger Series – Indian Wells, McHale was defeated in the second round by Barbara Haas.

McHale has played three seasons with World TeamTennis, making her debut in 2016 with the New York Empire. She has since played for the Washington Kastles and the San Diego Aviators in 2019.It was announced she will be joining the San Diego Aviators during the 2020 WTT season set to begin July 12.

An aggressive baseliner, McHale is noted for her powerful forehand groundstrokes, as well as for her speed around the court. During her second-round match at Wimbledon in 2016, Eurosport commended McHale for displaying "superb court coverage". The New York Times has noted McHale's "booming" groundstrokes as one of her primary strengths.

Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.

Singles

Current through the suspension of the 2020 WTA Tour.

Doubles

Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Singles: 5 (3 titles, 2 runners–up)

Doubles: 6 (3 titles, 3 runners–up)