Danielle Collins’ stunning Miami Open title on brink of retirement is best story in women’s tennis

Daniel Collins had come close once before, but was swept up in the story.

On January 29, 2022, the American faced Ashleigh Barty as the underdog in the Australian Open final at Rod Laver Arena.

The 27th-ranked Collins was in great form, dropping only two sets to earn a characteristically big win over seventh-seeded and future world No. 1 Iga Świętek. Waiting for her was Barty, the current world number one and Wimbledon champion, aiming to become the first Australian to win a singles slam in her home country since 1978.

Bertie closed the door on a straight set. Less than two months later, the 25-year-old retired from the sport as world No. 1, without a victory lap in Melbourne or defending his Wimbledon title. Three slam trophies, one quick farewell.

Collins, then 28, was tasked with picking up the pieces. But for the American player, who is coming off a career high, her off-court challenges say more than that.

In 2019, She revealed her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritisa chronic inflammatory condition that causes pain and swelling in the body’s joints. in 2021:

(Collins) underwent emergency surgery for endometriosis (a disease in which the tissue lining the uterus grows outside the uterus) and sustained an abdominal injury at Roland Garros.

She spoke openly about the excruciating pain she endured, saying it was the worst pain she had ever experienced.

Collins credits the surgeon with saving her career.

Three years after surgery and two years after losing in the Australian Open final, Collins scored the biggest win of her career on Saturday at the Miami Open, defeating 24-year-old former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3. I got it.

But there were twists and turns, and two months ago, I was back in Australia, in the exact same stadium, and it was Collins. person who announced retirement At the end of the 2024 season.

The 30-year-old revealed after the match that this would be her last year on tour, and said the American was keen to travel less and raise her family.

“I have other things I want to accomplish in life outside of tennis, so I want to make sure I have the time to make that happen. Obviously, having children is a priority for me.” she told reporters after the race at Rod Laver Arena.

At the time, the comments made by the player currently ranked 53rd in the rankings did not become a big topic of discussion. But Americans had a new question: “Why now?” Her impressive run of wins in WTA 1,000-level tournaments was questioned this week in Florida. At the beginning of the week She pushed back and suggested a gender double standard.

“You know, I think it’s very interesting because when I announced my retirement, I felt like everyone was so congratulatory and so excited. But on the other hand, I I feel like I had to justify my decision,” the former world No. 7 said. “I think if I were a man, I probably wouldn’t have to justify it as much.”

And even after winning everything, her overall message remained steadfast.

While it’s fascinating to watch athletes in top form give their all, it’s also refreshing to see athletes take control of their own narrative and maintain strong beliefs in the face of a potentially bewildered public. is. After all, only Collins herself can know her daily pain levels, her overall goals, and what will ultimately be the most satisfying path forward.

But hell, we haven’t even gotten to actual tennis yet. That’s the fun part. Collins plays with a hard-hitting style and hits hard-hitting winners that end points before they’ve even really started. As if fed up with the fact that his opponent had let it go over the net even once, he powerfully throws the ball away with his backhand.

In the Miami quarterfinals, Collins stuffed Caroline Garcia into a small trash can.

That’s when I really knew something special was happening. The author lives in Chicago and has a newborn baby at home. still I’m fantasizing about buying a plane ticket and flying down to South Florida for what could be two games left.

This reckless choice would have been justified. In the semifinals, she similarly stuffed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who had just won in straight sets over world No. 1 Swientek, into a small trash can.

She dropped a total of 10 games in two matches (5 each). But on paper, the final was the toughest test yet. Rybakina is a power player’s power player. Her height is 6 feet 0 inches, two inches taller than Collins, and she can hit the best serves and smashes. Her 128 aces rank second on the women’s tour this season. She has 20 wins this season, tying 2024 Australian Open champion Coco Gauff.

But she was no match for the girl who promised her father that she would one day play in this tournament.

Tennis players exist in real life with laughably close margins. Sometimes training, skills, and If a puncher is lucky, he or she may even get a chance to sniff out a high-level tournament title. This week, Collins had a cheering crowd, a big picture story to tell, and perhaps most importantly, a heart unburdened. She burst into tears almost immediately after hitting the winning run to earn her fourth championship point and end her match.

In sports, we often focus on: Who will be our new coach? …Who are you going to draft? …Who will we be competing against on the road next year? — but perhaps the biggest lesson of Collins’ title and choice is to simply stop and appreciate what we have in the present moment.