By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 30, 2021
"What I love most about my tennis career is how I’ve been able to come back from adversity and challenges," Danielle Collins says. "There is nothing better than when you get knocked down and you’re able to find solutions to get better and come back stronger."
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle
Danielle Collins' drive has fueled her tennis career since her father and first coach, Walter Collins, introduced her to the sport on the public park courts near her Florida home.
That intense determination has carried Collins to a couple of NCAA championships, the 2019 Australian Open semifinals and the 2020 Roland Garros quarterfinals solidifying he status as a fierce fighter on tour as she competes while battling rheumatoid arthritis that has left her body aching at times.
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The 27-year-old St. Petersburg native spent time spinning her wheels in the offseason—Collins got a new bicycle for Christmas.
Riding her bike and practicing on public courts in Florida bolstered Collins' strength and fitness as she's shown bursting out to a strong start this season.
Armed with her new Babolat Pure Aero+ racquet, Collins reached the Philipp Island Trophy semifinals in Melbourne last month then knocked off world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in Adelaide avenging a 7-6-in-the-third set loss to Barty in the 2020 Adelaide semifinals.
Throughout her career Collins' appetite for the fight and her ability to draw inspiration from adversity has empowered her on court.
"What I love most about my tennis career is how I’ve been able to come back from adversity and challenges," Collins says. "There is nothing better than when you get knocked down and you’re able to find solutions to get better and come back stronger. Tennis is rewarding because it requires hard work every single day.
"It requires so much mental strength and drive to compete in an individual sport and always motivate yourself to do better each and every day all on your own. There are days you love it and days that are challenging."
We caught up with the 40th-ranked Collins to chat about her new Babolat racquet, her competitive intensity and her successful start to the season.
Tennis Now: Danielle, why did you choose Babolat? What is it about the racquet that suits your style of play?
Danielle Collins: I was drawn to Babolat’s rich tennis history and their ability as a brand to create state of the art products. Having a racquet created out of advanced graphite, I am playing with a racquet that offers me terrific control and power.
TN: What do you value most in your racquet—what are the most important qualities you need from a racquet to play your best?
Danielle Collins: Your racquet is your strongest weapon you have on the court. Having the right racquet gives you a game changing advantage. When I picked up a Babolat racquet, I immediately felt a difference in the strength and the spin control it offered. It’s an addicting racquet. It’s crazy light too.
TN: You're off to a strong start to 2021 reaching a semifinal and beating world No. 1 Ash Barty. What was your goal entering 2021 season—and what was your offseason preparation like given the pandemic?
Danielle Collins: That was a terrific win for me. Ash is a great player so walking away with a win really excited me. Every win is terrific, and every loss is a great education. I am looking to learn and advance to a new level of play. My off-season preparation has been a mix of strength and core training. The pandemic has allowed me to be home more and I have found joy in training in refreshing and unique ways. I got a bike for Christmas and I just love it. Mixing up my conditioning routine has really made me feel strong.
TN: Grand Slams are the toughest tournaments and you've played some of your best tennis in majors with your run to the 2019 Australian semifinal and 2020 Roland Garos quarterfinal. How does your approach differ, if it does differ, in a Slam and what is your favorite Grand Slam?
Danielle Collins: My goal is perform my best during the Grand Slams. My training programs are designed to allow me to have my physical performance peak during those weeks. Every Slam is unique, that is what makes all the Grand Slams so special. The fans, amazing food, Australia’s incredible wildlife and beaches, and Tennis Australia’s commitment to player hospitality is what make player down under so special.
Paris is one of my the most beautiful cities in the world. The art, history, world class dining, and night life in the city make the French Open a favorite for many. Wimbledon’s tennis history makes for a surreal experience for everyone competing, as we all dreamed of playing at Wimbledon as young kids. And the energy in New York City during the US Open is something magical.
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle
TN: You're known as a passionate, intense, feisty player. Did you always have that intensity and passion in your junior and college days? How do you keep yourself fired up over the course of a long season?
Danielle Collins: Intense emotions exist at every tournament for all of us I would say. I try not to pay special attention to the environment around me once I walk onto the court, but I focus on my game, my preparation and my game plan for that specific match. I always have. With competing at the highest level comes emotion and I’m a passionate person about the game that I love playing, tennis, so that passion is reflected in my emotions on the court.
TN: Your dad introduced you to tennis at a very young age. Why did you fall in love with the sport and what do you love most about tennis and your career?
Danielle Collins: What I loved most about tennis at a young age was competition and fun outfits. I’ve always been very creative and channeling that has vision has been one of the most special things about having the opportunity to work with a company like New Balance. As a kid, I loved rocking cool on court looks. I was a big fan of tennis dresses and bright colors. New Balance always styles me in outfits that are comfortable and make me feel confident. Collaborating with their design team is something I’m very passionate about. It makes competing so fun when you look forward to what you are going to wear each match...
What I love most about my tennis career is how I’ve been able to come back from adversity and challenges. There is nothing better than when you get knocked down and you’re able to find solutions to get better and come back stronger. Tennis is rewarding because it requires hard work every single day. It requires so much mental strength and drive to compete in an individual sport and always motivate yourself to do better each and every day all on your own. There are days you love it and days that are challenging.
I have been playing tennis and committing myself to my game for nearly 20 years. There have been victorious wins, emotional losses, and physical health challenges along the way. Something I’ll be able to say for the rest of my life is that I gave it my all every single day and never made excuses for myself.
At times, I’ve fought through physical agony dealing with my rheumatoid arthritis, and what I love most about my career is that I’ve never let any of the challenges I’ve faced define me or my career. Another favorite thing about my career is how I’ve been able to give back to the community whether it’s been partnering with New Balance and providing shoes to children facing life threatening illnesses around the holidays. Or being a mentor to two young girls who have aspirations to go to college and play professional tennis. I’ve developed two very sweet relationships with Townsend 14 and Alli age 9. I enjoy getting out on court with them in my spare time and encouraging them to follow their dreams.
TN: Do you play the ball or the opponent?
Danielle Collins: I play the ball and compete!
TN: You're known as a fit player. What is your go-to favorite training on court and off-court? What is the most challenging part of your job and your preparation?
Danielle Collins: Proper preparation is critical in playing on the tour. I work with Tom Couch as my fitness and strength coach. My favorite go to training on and off the court is a high intensity circuit workout. The most challenging part of my career is the chaos that comes along with traveling around the world from week to week, especially surrounding the pandemic. Each week you’re in a new hotel, in a new environment, different food, different weather, different people working with you or the events, certain things not being available in country to country.
I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to work and have this job, but following my nutrition plans during covid has been extremely difficult for someone with an auto immune disease and food allergies. We are no longer able to rent houses during tournaments and unable to have access to a kitchen. It’s difficult to nourish my body properly when I’m constantly ordering hotel food or delivery. Unfortunately, individual needs cannot always be accommodated to in a hotel bubble environment. All of this has caused some suffering on my end, and has hurt my preparation at times.
TN: What give you the most joy off court?
Danielle Collins: I love cooking and spending time with my family, friends and my dogs. My dogs have quite the personality and they bring such joy and unbounding laughter.
TN: Lastly, anything we did not ask you—
either about your season, career or life—
that's important to note?
Danielle Collins: I love working with Dynasty Financial partners on a patch deal. As a professional tennis player, you are constantly focused on your game and it’s important to have strategic partnerships with brands and companies with a shared set off values and goals. Their “Plan Protect and Win” approach is right up my alley and I really enjoy working with them. I know I can get in front of anyone I need to quickly and get to the answers I need. At the end of the day, Tennis is what I need to be great at, and with Dynasty Financial Partners support they let me do that without worry.