MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - MARCH 30: Danielle Collins of the United States poses with the trophy after ... [+]
While Jurgen Klopp is trying to collect a few trophies to add to the collection in his farewell months at Liverpool Football Club, Danielle Collins has already got two before her imminent farewell this season. Her birthplace is St. Petersburg, a popular retirement destination. Until that time comes, there's still work to do but it all feels like child's play. The 30-year-old American defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-2 at the Charleston Open on Sunday to make it two WTA titles in the last fortnight.
Collins has found a freedom in her game and has now turned it into a full throttle and focused long goodbye. Her win in South Carolina included impressive victories over top 10-ranked Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari and former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens. The week before at the Miami Open, the current world No. 15 defeated ex-Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in straight sets with some incredible double-handed backhands and heavy duty groundstrokes. This was tennis very much from the heavens without the high error quotient that used to nullify her best weapons. The last player to achieve this unique double was her hero, Serena Williams.
Having openly discussed her decision to retire, something has been released in the Collins repertoire that is more powerful than before. When she narrowly lost to Iga Swiatek in the second round of the Australian Open at Melbourne, the Florida-born player was very clear she had reached the end of the tennis roundabout to accomplish other things in her life.
Her most revealing comment was about the importance of victory. "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,” she said. Ever since then, she has been released to play in a manner where any disappointment is now neutered. That’s been bad news for her opponents. She didn’t concede more than five games in any match up to the final at Miami.
Collins is now on a 13-match winning streak, a great advert for what is possible when a sportsperson can come to terms with leaving the stage. The ‘peak’ part of her career had always been full of promise with an ability to take on top seeds and damage them at big events. She took out three-time major champion Angelique Kerber with a stunning display at Melbourne in 2019. “I go out fearless, I’ve been working so hard my whole life, I just give it my all and don’t really think twice about it,” she said at the time. She has rediscovered that kind of approach recently and the results speak for themselves.
Collins should also be appreciated for the way she took hold of the American No. 1 label, especially when battling against the same kind of rheumatoid arthritis that has afflicted Caroline Wozniacki. Collins' on-court persona is all-out aggression with nothing held back in first pumps or roars. That competitive, forward-looking spirit also helped her win two consecutive tournaments at the Palermo Ladies Open in 2021 and the Silicon Valley Classic just months after surgery for endometriosis.
Despite losing to now retired Ash Barty in the 2022 Australian Open final, she overtook Sofia Kenin, Cori Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jennifer Brady to become the nation’s premium female player against all odds as well as gain a top ten ranking. Her ability to move forward with no regrets is a huge reason why there is certainty in her approach. She has often talked about trying other things in the world, has a media degree from the UVA and is never frightened to speak her mind. Worrying about what people think is not an energy that Collins invests in.
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 05: Danielle Collins of the United States celebrates her ... [+]
“It's not important what people think when you come in, it's much more important what people think when you leave,” said Klopp in his first press conference as Liverpool boss in October 2015. As Danielle Collins leaves the stage in November, she may well have even more credit in the bank. If she retains her current ranking of No. 4 in the WTA Singles Race list, she will be competing for a pot of £15.25 million in Saudi Arabia at the season-ending Finals. That would be some goodbye.
