Although Danielle Collins has had a complicated ride to the top on the WTA Tour, the American recently revealed her admiration for compatriot Coco Gauff, who employed a different path in her young career.
Gauff burst into the limelight when at the age of just 15, she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon en route to making it to the second week. Conversely, Collins took the collegiate route, and did not make her debut on the main tour till her mid 20's.
Collins acknowledges Gauff's difficult rise to stardom
In an appearance on the Advantage Connors podcast, Collins appreciated how much Gauff had to work to achieve so much at a young age. Additionally, she hailed Gauff's talent and family support system, stating she herself needed more time to handle being a professional tennis player.
"There are a lot of people that are cut out for and do a phenomenal job," began Collins. "I mean, you look at someone like Coco Gauff and her support system with her family. And I think this is like her destiny, this is you, know, her God-given talent and it is what she is truly meant to be doing.
"And beyond tennis, I think she stands for so much outside of the sport as well. That's really important but for me, I was not like that. And I wasn't quite developed enough physically or mentally to be able to endure the challenges that come along with being a professional."
"And beyond tennis, I think she stands for so much outside of the sport as well. That's really important but for me, I was not like that. And I wasn't quite developed enough physically or mentally to be able to endure the challenges that come along with being a professional."
Furthermore, Collins reflected on he collegiate career. The 30-year old admitted it gave her time to grow and mature, which helped her navigate the challenges of dealing with life on the WTA Tour.
"I needed to have a little bit more time to mature and to grow and to do so in a safe environment and I feel like, you know, I went to two great universities," she added. "I went to Florida my freshman year and then I transferred after not playing in the lineup there.
"I wanted to go somewhere where I knew I could play in the team that was really important. And I ended up having a really successful career at Virginia where I won two national championships."
"I wanted to go somewhere where I knew I could play in the team that was really important. And I ended up having a really successful career at Virginia where I won two national championships."
Both athletes will be competing at the 2024 US Open, with Collins already announcing her retirement at the end of the season.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
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