Australian Open, NCAA, Danimal, retirement: Everything you always wanted to know about Danielle Collins (but never had time to find out) – updated with BBC column on retirement
Danielle Collins is back in the world’s top 10 but plans to retire at the end of the 2024 season. Here are responses to some common questions about the American
Danielle Collins of the United States in action during the fourth round at the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam Tennis Tournament
Image Credit: Zuma / Panoramic
Who is Danielle Collins?
Danielle Collins is an American player who competes on the WTA Tour. She was born on December 13, 1993 in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States.
Why is Danielle Collins retiring?
Despite speaking about the same several times over the past few months, Collins has been repeatedly asked about her reasons for quitting. The American out her thoughts down in a column for the BBC in the last week of May.
“A lot of people have been surprised by my decision to retire while I’ve been having some of the best success of my career. But for me it was really important to end on a positive note, Collins wrote in her column. “I’m going to be 31 at the end of the year and one of my biggest goals outside of tennis is to have a family. Being able to have a family is challenging as a woman when your career depends on your body. It would be especially difficult to think about playing tennis while pregnant. Added to this, I deal with two chronic health conditions: rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis, which can affect fertility and your ability to have children.”
“I have a smaller window available to get pregnant and to make sure that hopefully happens. I’m also introverted and like to be at home mostly. I’ve loved my experience of being a professional tennis player and travelling the world. Tennis has given me the opportunity to have so many incredible experiences, many of which would not have been possible for me otherwise. But I’m ready for my next chapter.”
What did Danielle Collins achieve in Strasbourg?
With a win over Kalinina, Danielle Collins reached the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg in May 2024, having ensured her return to the world’s top 10 by reaching the semi-finals.
Collins lost in the final to good friend and compatriot, Madison Keys.
However, Collins’ return to the top 10 had came on the back of a sparkling run in recent months, winning 22 of her last 25 matches including back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston. Her loss to Keys was just her third in 25 matches since the start of the Miami Open.
Why is Danielle Collins in the news?
Collins won 15 straight matches in a brilliant stretch of form in March and April 2024, taking two titles, Miami and Charleston.
Since announcing that 2024 will be her last year, she has hit a purple patch of form. The American raced through the field at the WTA 1000 event in Miami, winning the tournament without dropping a set for the biggest title win of her career. Most recently, she’s won back-to-back titles by claiming the WTA 500 event in Charleston, defeating Paula Badosa (6-1, 6-4), Ons Jabeur (6-3, 1-6, 6-3), Sloane Stephens (6-2, 6-2), Elise Mertens (6-3, 6-4), Maria Sakkari (6-3, 6-3) and Daria Kasatkina (6-2, 6-1).
In doing so, Collins became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to claim both the Miami Open and Charleston Opens in the same year. Along the way, she’s popularised the nickname “Danimal”, partly due to her on-court intensity – and, for the love of her pet dog, who she often shouts out in her post-match interviews.
Her winning streak came to an end at 15 in the fourth round of the Madrid Open, when she was beaten in three sets by Aryna Sabalenka. She reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open.
Is Danielle Collins retiring?
Yes. After losing to world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open, the American announced that 2024 would be her last season on tour, though she does not know when her final tournament would be just yet.
“At this point, you know, I’m kind of at the end of my career and they don’t sting quite as much, to be honest. I feel like I have kind of gotten to the point where obviously they matter and, you know, my career means a lot to me, but the end of the day, you know, you either win or you lose, and that’s all there is to it. This is going to be my last season, actually, competing. I don’t really know exactly when, but this will be my last season and I’m really looking forward to that,” Collins told the press in Melbourne after her loss to Swiatek.
What did Danielle Collins do at the 2024 Miami Open?
Danielle Collins captured a WTA 1000 title for the first time in her career at the 2024 Miami Open. She beat No 4 seed Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match.
She was dominant on her way to the trophy, defeating Bernarda Pera 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, 30th seed Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 6-2, Elina Avanesyan 6-1, 6-2, 19th seed Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-2, 23rd seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 and 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2 prior to the final.
What did Danielle Collins achieve at the 2022 Australian Open?
Danielle Collins reached the final of the 2022 Australian Open, her first time into a Grand Slam singles final. The 30th ranked American who had also reached the Australian Open semis in 2019, lost to world No 1 Ash Barty in the championship match.
Did Collins play college tennis?
Danielle Collins played college tennis at the University of Virginia (she took a transfer from the University of Florida after her freshman year) and won the NCAA singles title twice in 2014 and 2016.
Does Collins have any health issues?
In 2019, Collins revealed she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition that causes pain and swelling in the body’s joints.
“I have not been feeling all that great for quite some time, but it has been somewhat of a relief and completely validating to understand the cause behind my pain. As I have started treatment, I am looking forward to embracing this next challenge in life. Without a doubt, every healthy day is a gift and I am one hundred percent committed to keeping strong and continuing to battle on and off the tennis court. While I don’t know for sure what my journey to recovery will be, I do know that I feel really positive about getting back on the court. I feel like now I can get better and address my body’s needs in fighting this disease,” Collins said on social media.
In April 2021, Collins also underwent surgery for endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
She has mentioned health issues as one of the reasons for her seemingly premature retirement.
How many WTA titles has Collins won?
Danielle Collins has won four WTA singles titles in her career – Palermo (clay), San Jose (hard), Miami (hard) and Charleston (clay). Collins captured her first two titles back-to-back in the July-August 2021 period, embarking on a then-career-best 12-match winning streak during that stretch.
What is Danielle Collins’ highest ranking?
Collins’ highest singles ranking is No 7 in the world, which she achieved for the first time in July 2022. Her current ranking and ranking history are available on her WTA Tour profile page.
How much prize money has she won in her career?
Collins has won approximately $8.59 million in career prize money as of May 26, 2024. You can find her updated prize money stats on her WTA Tour profile page.
What is Collins’ best performance in a Grand Slam?
Collins reached the final of the Australian Open in 2022, her first time in a major final. She deefated world No 9 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final before going down to top-ranked Ash Barty in the final.
This was the second time that Collins had reached the deep end of the Australian Open. In 2019, she beat 13th ranked Julia Goerges, 19th ranked Caroline Garcia and world No 2 Angelique Kerber en route to the semi-finals where she lost to Petra Kvitova.
She also reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2020. At the US Open, her best performance was a fourth-round finish in 2022 and at Wimbledon, she reached the third round in 2019.
What is Collins’ style of play?
Collins plays an aggressive game, hitting powerful groundstrokes off her forehand and backhand. She is also known for her intensity on court. Her 2022 Australian Open quarter-final opponent Alize Cornet described her as “a lion”, saying “She’s like a lion. Oh, my God, she impresses me a little bit because she’s like so intense, I’m intense too but I think she’s next-level intense. She’s hitting so hard.”
Is Danielle Collins on social media?
Collins is on Instagram (where she is followed by more than 220,000 followers as on May 30, 2024) and has a page on Facebook (11,00 followers).
Collins’ reactions on and off the court have made her a big hit among tennis fans in the online world.
