Danielle Collins implored her team to increase their volume as she secured a remarkable victory over Elena Rybakina in the Miami Open women’s singles final.
Collins secured the initial set with a score of 7-5 and proceeded to swiftly take a 2-0 lead in the second set. However, in the third game of the set, Rybakina presented a tough challenge for Collins. Despite having an advantage in her service game, the American was unable to capitalize as the Kazakh player brought the game back to deuce.
Upon reaching this moment, Collins directed her attention to her box and encouraged her team to increase their cheers. In response to the 30-year-old’s actions, her team members clapped in unison.
Despite her lower ranking as the WTA World No. 53, Collins managed to secure her first ever WTA 1000 title after defeating her opponent in the second set with a score of 6-3. As a result, she not only became the lowest-ranked player to win the Miami Open, but also the second unseeded player in history to claim the women’s singles title, following in the footsteps of Kim Clijsters who achieved this feat in 2005.
The 2022 Australian Open runner-up also joined an esteemed group of players, including Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Sloane Stephens, as the sixth American woman to claim victory in Miami.
“The biggest stage of my career”- Danielle Collins on her first Grand Slam final
Collins’ victory at the Miami Open held more significance than just winning a highly regarded WTA 1000 title. As a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, the 30-year-old had always followed and admired the tournament since childhood.
Collins expressed her appreciation to her fans in her speech and additionally discussed the significance of securing a victory in her home state during the tournament.
“To the fans, I’ve played a lot of tennis, and I’ve played a few finals, but nothing close to this. To play in my home state, at a tournament I used to watch on TV as a kid – my dad said, ‘If you’re not playing in the tournament you’re not going,’ so I had to work really hard to get here. And to come out here and feel like I’m playing in front of thousands of my best friends, and everybody that was pushing me to get over this hurdle today, it just meant the world,”Danielle Collins said (via Tennis.com).
Collins has achieved 15 victories in 22 matches this season, including her recent win at the Miami Open. She also made it to the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, where she had to go through qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the main draw.
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