"Truly something that has inspired me": Danielle Collins applauds Madison Keys for evolving past struggles

Danielle Collins recently referred to Madison Keys' "inspiring" run to win her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. "Danimal" responded in an interview after concluding her 2025 season with a current ranking of No. 67 (No. 55 in the WTA Race).

The 31-year-old American admitted in an interview with The Gay Tennis Podcast how inspired she felt by Keys' great campaign. At 29 years old, Keys lifted her first Major title after having been close to quitting tennis due to injuries and mental health issues. She became the 4th oldest first-time Slam champion in the Open Era, after Flavia Pennetta (US Open 2015, 33) and Ann Jones (Wimbledon 1969, 30).

Keys was one of the surprises at the start of the season by taking a huge leap forward, achieving a 16-match winning streak and claiming her first Major title in Melbourne. More than seven years and 24 Major tournament appearances had passed since the fateful defeat in her first Slam final at the 2017 US Open, where Sloane Stephens achieved an overwhelming 6-3, 6-0 victory.

Since then, Keys had struggled to establish herself as a Major tournament contender, with a 2024 of adverse results, failing to get past the fourth round in any Major and ending outside the Top 20 for only the second time in the last 10 seasons (at No. 21).

"I just love that run': Collins praises Keys for her openness on mental health

Keys' winning streak was one of the main talking points at the start of the season, especially after she broke Aryna Sabalenka's dominance in Melbourne—ending her 20-match consecutive winning streak and two-time defending champion status there. Keys was the big surprise of the tournament and managed to sustain convincing results throughout the season, which currently sees her as World No. 7—despite being one of the players who chose to skip the entire Asian swing.

Also off the courts is her compatriot Danielle Collins, who, amidst adverse results this 2025, ended her season after the US Open. She was defeated 2-6, 0-6 by Jaqueline Cristian, marking a 1-4 record since returning to the hard courts.

Shortly after, Collins announced that she would not continue competing this season and would prepare to return in 2026. Already in an early off-season, the American reflected on her most recent season, where one of the topics she touched upon was the moment that most inspired her on the WTA Tour this year.

"Madison Keys' run to the Australian Open title is like truly something that has inspired me this year," Collins stated. "I loved that run. Me also. I mean, just like how she's evolved as a person and been so open about different things that she's worked through and different struggles and adversity that she's faced and how she's been able to overcome all of that and how genuinely she's spoken about all of that.”

"I just I love when people can go into these press conferences or these media opportunities and they offer substance to conversation that inspires other people because I mean we've all seen it, right?" added the former Australian Open runner-up. "Like there's, you know, understandably. Like some people aren't as comfortable talking in front of media like as others. So I understand that."

The former World No. 8 added that tennis players have a voice that can inspire ordinary people, and that Keys' run was undoubtedly one of the season's highlights. “Something that's special about our sport is like the outreach that we have to like inspire young people, people that are going through different challenges. I think there’s a lot of parallels and challenges that people face on the tennis court, and you can compare that to things that people go through in life, right?

"And I just love when we have players like Maddie who can speak so openly about like their struggles and share and offer insight on how they were able to get through something that was dark or challenging and yeah like be a friend to other people. Like I just think that's so special.”