"I don't know what that means": Danielle Collins dispels myths about her peaking performance due to retirement

Danielle Collins since announcing her impending retirement from tennis has seen a form increase in which she has won Miami, Charleston as well as reaching the final in Strasbourg. She has lost three matches since Indian Wells in March and is one of the favourites for Roland Garros.

But despite that, Collins is confused about the narrative that surrounds her. For many, the American is seen as having more freedom and is playing better due to retirement. But Collins has rubbished this notion time and again saying that she has been making improvements and this is what has come from it. She saw off Caroline Dolehide in the opening round of the French Open on Monday.

She called the conversation pretty boring as well as confusing and that people don't want to talk about the narrative of constant improvements that she has been making. Collins also has had the consistent questioning of whether she will make a U-turn on her retirement which again has been quelled by the fact that the American wants to live her life outside of tennis and start a family.

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“I feel like there's been a lot of conversation around, ‘Oh, you announced your retirement, so perhaps you're playing more free.’ I don't really know what that means as a 30-year-old woman who has a lot of freedom in her life. I really am confused by that. But I feel like I've always had a good amount of confidence on the court," said Collins.

“I feel like I've provided pretty boring conversation in the sense of like, you know, it's a lot of hard work and figuring things out and figuring out how to make little adjustments on your shots and improve little by little technically and tactically. I feel like I just keep putting people to sleep with that, but really I think a lot of the success over the last couple of weeks and months is a product of things clicking because I have made those improvements.”

Melanie Lautrup

@melanie_lautrup

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