Danielle Collins expressed one reason why she feels tennis players do not receive enough credit.
The American is one of the fiercest competitors on the WTA Tour and she is not afraid to speak her mind.
The World Number 12 gave a candid interview during an appearance on Andy Roddick’s ‘Served’ podcast in which she gave some insight into her years as a younger tennis player.
She explained how her time as a college player helped prepare her for the professional tour both from a mental and emotional standpoint.
Why does Danielle Collins think tennis players should get more recognition?
Looking back on her career which she will bring to an end once this season has concluded, Collins says her college days were pivotal to how she has navigated life on the WTA Tour.
Furthermore, she outlined one thing professional tennis players should be given more respect for, especially those at a young age.
“College gave me the time to evolve and mature physically and emotionally because I was not ready at like 16-17 years old,” Collins said.
“I don’t think tennis players get enough credit for how hard this environment can be. The public eye is also not not always an easy thing to navigate through, especially as a young young kid.
“I’m really grateful that I had those years to kind of mature and develop a strong resilience because you have to have a thick skin in this sport you’re not going to make it very far, so I needed those years to become tougher.”
What was Danielle Collins’ college career record?
Collins began her college career with the Florida Gators where she won 24 or her 31 singles matches, before transferring to the Virginia Cavaliers after a year.
In her three years there she registered 101 out of 121 wins, and was named in the All-ACC first team in all three seasons.
Her efforts helped Virginia win back-to-back ACC Championship titles in 2014 and 2015. Collins went on to win the NCAA title in 2014 and was the first person from that college to do so.
The American finished her college career as the country’s top-ranked player in 2016 and became a full-time professional player later that year.
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