Danielle Collins, the No. 11 seed and a player who has announced her retirement after the current season, had a disappointing end to her final Grand Slam singles tournament. She lost in the first round of the US Open on Tuesday to fellow American Caroline Dolehide, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. Collins, known for her strong performances, declined a planned on-court ceremony that the US Tennis Association had arranged for her.
Collins, who will be playing doubles in the tournament, explained that she preferred to have such a moment in private. “I just would prefer to do something like that maybe in private,” she said. “But I feel like I’ve gotten enough attention to last a lifetime. “I was kind of thinking of that movie, I think it was ‘Meet the Parents’ or ‘Meet the Fockers,’ where Gaylord has a shrine and all his 18th-place medals. I don’t want to be like Gaylord, so I think I’m good.”
Collins’s retirement decision follows a strong final season. After announcing her intentions at the Australian Open and expressing her desire to start a family, she achieved significant success, including her first WTA 1000 level title in Miami, followed by another victory in Charleston. Her impressive performances even led to questions about a possible change of heart regarding retirement. However, an abdominal injury sustained since the Paris Olympics forced her to withdraw from warm-up events in Toronto and Cincinnati, impacting her preparation for the US Open.
Dolehide, who will turn 26 next Thursday, earned her first career singles victory at the US Open. After a brief hug at the net, Collins quickly made her way off the court. While her future after this season remains uncertain, Collins plans to continue playing doubles for the remainder of the year.
“I mean, I’m still playing the rest of the year, or at least that’s the plan right now,” she said. “You never know with life’s challenges and health stuff. We’ll see. “But yeah, I was kind of just bummed I couldn’t play some of my best tennis.”
