Danielle Collins is refusing to bow out of the sport quietly.
The 30-year-old, who revealed that this would be her final season due to health reasons, is drawing strength from the energy that comes with embracing her destiny.
After registering an impressive 22-3 win-loss record from March through May, including back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston, Collins is enjoying her most fruitful campaign yet as she has shot up to sixth in the Race to the WTA Finals.
However, her momentum has since stalled in the lead-up to her native US Open.
Collins appeared to have made a smart move by entering the Monterrey Open this week as the number one seed in a bid to maximize her points tally before the season-ending finale.
What did Danielle Collins say to the crowd during her Monterrey Open match?
Although after her round-of-16 defeat to Erika Andreeva, Danielle Collins will be leaving Mexico with minimal points.
The fiery American was forced to rue missed opportunities as she fell to a 1-6 6-3 6-3 defeat, but the match was not without a tint of drama.
During the third set, before Andreeva was serving at 4-3 40-0, a spectator yelled something out at the players.
“What in the world,” a frustrated Collins responded. “I don’t get it. It’s not that hard to let us play tennis and just be supportive.”
Was it a clever move for Collins to play in Monterrey?
Collins, just as Emma Navarro did, chose to pursue the 500 points on offer in Mexico while their fierce competitors hit the practice courts in New York.
Navarro is also in with a real shot at finishing the year in the top eight in the WTA Race and is yet to play her opener in Monterrey.
However, Collins is already out and on a plane back to the US.
Although she didn’t progress as far as she would have liked, Collins will now be able to channel all her energy into producing an awe-inspiring string of performances in front of the American crowd in what is set to be her final appearance at Flushing Meadows.
She has never made it past the fourth round of the US Open, but her form this year puts her in great shape to conquer this feat.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
