“Older people like me and Grigor Dimitrov, maybe we have a little bit more wisdom” – Danielle Collins on her and Bulgarian’s success at Miami Open

Danielle Collins playfully remarked that more experienced players like herself and Grigor Dimitrov may possess greater wisdom in comparison to the younger generation of tennis players.

Despite being ranked as WTA World No. 53, Collins was able to secure her first WTA 1000 title by defeating Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in the Miami Open women’s singles final. This victory also made her the lowest-ranked women’s player to ever lift the prestigious trophy.

Following her victory, the 2022 Australian Open runner-up will rise to the position of World No. 22. In July 2022, Collins reached her peak ranking of World No. 7.

Following Collins’ victory in Miami, she was questioned about whether her and Dimitrov’s success at the tournament suggests that the next generation of players has yet to make its mark.

The woman, who is 30 years old, expressed her preference for viewing the situation in a more positive light. She added that perhaps both she and Dimitrov have gained more wisdom as a result.

At the age of 32, Dimitrov has been displaying dominant performances in the men’s division. He is scheduled to compete against the current Australian Open title holder, Jannik Sinner, in the men’s final at the Miami tournament.

“In a more positive way, maybe, like, the older people like me and Grigor, maybe we have a little bit more wisdom under our belt, right? I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. I like to think of it more like that rather than what you were saying, but yeah. Yeah, I’ll go with that perspective instead,”Collins said during her post-match press conference.

“Independence and Determination: Grigor Dimitrov’s Journey to Success”

Grigor Dimitrov, who was seeded 11th at the 2021 Miami Open, advanced to the men’s final by defeating three top 10 players. In the Round of 16, the Bulgarian defeated Hubert Hurkacz, who was ranked 9th in the world. He then went on to defeat the tournament’s 2nd seed, Carlos Alcaraz, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Dimitrov shocked World No. 5 Alexander Zverev.

With his victory over Zverev in the semifinals, Dimitrov made a comeback to the top 10 of the ATP Tour rankings after being absent for six years. When asked about how he felt about re-entering the top 10, the Bulgarian stated that he now focuses on fighting his own battles and running his own race.

“I fight my own battles right now. I run my own race, I think all that comes with all the work that we have put in as a team. I’m on a very different path in my life, in my career. There’s a lot that was done, a lot of work, a lot of everything behind it. I kept on believing, I kept on thriving, I kept on having faith in myself. This is just the cherry on the cake,”Dimitrov said (via Eurosport).

Despite having a 1-2 record against Sinner, Dimitrov has not yet given up hope of defeating him. Their most recent encounter was in the quarterfinals of the 2023 China Open, where Sinner emerged victorious with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.