“This is my last year, and some of my final events; I want to remember these moments” – Danielle Collins on her mentality during Miami Open triumph

During her successful Miami Open campaign in 2024, Danielle Collins discussed her mindset.

In a match lasting just over two hours, Collins emerged victorious over fourth seed Elena Rybakina with a score of 7-5, 6-3 to claim the prestigious Miami Open title. This marks the biggest achievement of her career to date. Additionally, she also became the first American woman since Sloane Stephens in 2018 to win the WTA 1000 event.

During her post-match press conference following her victory over Rybakina, Danielle Collins, who had previously declared her retirement earlier this year, discussed her journey leading up to the final.

Collins conveyed her desire to fully enjoy the match by cherishing the special moments of camaraderie with her team and embracing the unique atmosphere of playing in her home state of Florida. The American further disclosed her intention to fully absorb these moments and refrain from being distracted by anything else.

“When I walked in today, I immediately had, like, a few cameramen on me and we were having some great moments with my team. I said, you know, these are some, like, really special moments. I don’t want to be so focused on everything else where I don’t get to kind of take it in,”Danielle Collins said.

Upon reflecting on her triumph at the Miami Open, the former World No. 7 credited her strong mentality for propelling her to victory. As she acknowledged that this would be her “final year”and “last season,”with some of her “final events”approaching, Collins approached each match with a determination to savor every moment and create cherished memories.

“I really think, like, part of the reason why I played so well and did a good job today was because I had that mentality of, like, I’m going to enjoy every minute of this. This is my last year, this is my last season, and these are some of my final events. I want to remember these moments,”she added.

Danielle Collins: “Today has been absolutely amazing!”

During the previously mentioned press conference, Danielle Collins expressed her excitement for reaching the final of the Miami Open. She attributed this excitement to the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd and receive their support. She also referred to the day as one of the highlights of her career.

“I feel like today I woke up and when we were in the car, I was, like, oh, this is going to be the first time I play a finals in my home state and have a lot of crowd support. This is so exciting. We changed the playlist, got really pumped up. It was just so much fun. This day has been, like, the best,”Danielle Collins said.

Collins also noted that as this was her last year on the WTA Tour, she had been competing in back-to-back tournaments. As a result, she was eagerly anticipating some much-needed relaxation with her loved ones and savoring her victory.

“I’ve been going, going, going for the past few months playing back-to-back tournaments. Now I get to celebrate with friends. Yeah, I’ve got a night out on the town. Haven’t done that in a while. Hopefully I can stay up for it (Laughter.) And wear a nontennis outfit. I’m so excited,”she added.

The victory at the Miami Open brings the American’s win-loss record for the 2024 season to 15-7.