Danielle Collins’ Brutal Snub From Billie Jean King Cup Squad Justified With a Hint of Regret From American Captain

In the unpredictable world of tennis, timing can play a crucial role, along with talent. And this is what went wrong during the decision-making of the esteemed caption of the Billie Jean King Cup, Lindsay Davenport. Danielle Collins, who wanted to participate in the BJK Cup, faced a bittersweet moment during the selection process for the tournament. And Davenport recently expressed her insights, shedding light on why she could not take Collins on the team.

Lindsay Davenport, the former World No. 1 and the current captain of the USA team, had the task of assembling a team during the BJK Cup. And bound by the constraints of WTA ranking, Davenport found herself omitting the then-ranked 59th player, Danielle Collins. However, instead of her, other players, like Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend, and Caroline Dolehide represented the USA team this year.

Reflecting on this decision, Davenport revealed her thoughts behind the action in the “Served with Andy” podcast. “I had to pick the team by, I’m gonna get it wrong, like March 6 or something. Daniel Collins was like, 59. There was six or seven players ranked in front of her at that time,” she explained.

Therefore, she declared her decision to Danielle Collins and said, “for this tie, no”. However, the twist to the story occurred when Collins climbed up the ranking rapidly after that. She quickly reached the position of 15th in the World. This happened owing to her consecutive victories in the Miami Open and Charleston Open. But it was too late for Davenport by then. Eventually, the USA lost the Cup, and Canada emerged victorious.

However, she revealed that Collins was supportive of everything. “She is amazing and represented her country, representing our country. And then look what happens. By the time the tie was actually played. She was like 15 in the world, could not have been sweeter, more supportive.” Although Danielle Collins faced back-to-back victories earlier this year, her luck fell short in the Madrid Open.

Danielle Collins’ disappointment in the Madrid Open tournament

In a sad turn of events, Danielle Collins could not maintain her winning streak in her last appearance in the Madrid Open before her retirement. World No. 2, Aryna Sabalenka put an end to Collins’ 15-match winning streak with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Before this, Collins suffered her last defeat against World No. 1 Iga Swiatek during the Indian Wells this season. And after winning two previous matches in the Madrid Open, she faced a disappointing exit from the tournament this year.

The 30-year-old American is currently playing her last season before her retirement owing to her endometriosis and an autoimmune disease called rheumatoid arthritis. But before bidding goodbye to the tennis world, she is making her mark on the sport. And although fans didn’t witness her performance in the Billie Jean King Cup this year, they are hopeful of seeing her incredible skills on-court in her upcoming matches.