Danielle Collins Wins Miami Open Crown, Makes History

Amping up the quantity of her drives and grunts, Danielle Collins channeled swang tune into profession crescendo.

Unleashing booming backhands, defiant drives and a fierce urge for food for the struggle, Collins conquered Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-3 in rousing efficiency to seize the Miami Open championship.

The 53rd-ranked Collins denied 10 of 11 break factors changing into the lowest-ranked Miami Open champion in historical past and first American lady to win Miami since fellow Floridian Sloane Stephens in 2018.

“I used to beg my dad to take me right here and he mentioned, ‘You’ll be able to go whenever you play within the match.’”

Danielle Collins simply WON the match!#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/s2bN4gvGIV

— wta (@WTA) March 30, 2024

“That was a battle. This complete week has been powerful,” Collins instructed Miami followers. “I’ve performed towards among the hardest opponents, among the finest gamers on the earth.

“To be out right here and share the court docket with Elena within the finals, you’ve had an unimaginable match, an unimaginable two years and so nicely deserved. I’m at all times rooting you on and hopefully we’ll play many extra finals.” 

Battling via an 11-minute ultimate sport, Collins refused to lose. Getting into the court docket Collins slammed her signature shot, the backhand crosscourt, to transform her her fourth championship level tossing her Tecnifibre racquet apart and burying her face in her arms in pleasure.

Taking part in maybe her ultimate professional match in her residence state, Collins reworked Exhausting Rock Stadium into Danimal Home.

“To the followers, I’ve performed just a few finals, however nothing like this,” Collins instructed the gang. “To play in my residence state in a match I used to look at on TV in a child….

“To come back out right here and really feel like I’m enjoying in entrance of 1000’s of my finest associates and everybody that was pushing me to recover from this hurdle right now it simply meant the world.

“I used to be getting very emotional and I needed to hold telling myself to go away these feelings within the locker room and wait till after the match. It was simply an unimaginable surroundings. I’ve by no means skilled something prefer it. Thanks everybody.”

“To come back out right here and really feel like I used to be enjoying in entrance of 1000’s of my finest associates… it was an unimaginable surroundings. I’ve by no means skilled something prefer it.”

-Danelle Collins | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/TEnyDGiGc7

— wta (@WTA) March 30, 2024

The 30-year-old Collins’ drive has fueled her tennis profession since her father and first coach, Walter Collins, launched her to the game on the general public park courts close to her Florida residence.

That intense willpower has carried Collins to a few NCAA championships, the 2022 Australian Open ultimate and the 2020 Roland Garros quarterfinals solidifying he standing as a fierce fighter on tour as she competes whereas battling rheumatoid arthritis that has left her physique aching at occasions.

Via all of it, Collins brings grit, depth and willpower to every match and did it once more earlier than a packed and supportive crowd that included Corridor of Famers Andre Agassi and Martina Navratilova.

It’s Collins’ third profession title, her first WTA 1000 and got here towards a former Wimbledon champion who fought her till the ultimate ball.

“Second yr into the ultimate I feel it’s an ideal end result some consistency,” Rybakina mentioned. “It was an ideal two weeks, loads of powerful matches, nice battles, thanks a lot to the followers for all of the assist via these two weeks.

“You give power to maintain us preventing via all these powerful matches. After all, I wish to congratulate Danielle for an ideal two weeks, nice matches. You performed right here, nice tennis, for positive.”