WTA star and current American sensation Danielle Collins is experiencing peak form in her last pro season. Giving a reason to rejoice to American fans, she has also surprised many as her basis for retiring from tennis is a serious medical condition that doesn’t let her play to her full physical capacity. But it has left the tennis world guessing and speculating the reason behind her dream run.

Jumping on the bandwagon, American former tennis pro Alexandra Stevenson speculates that perhaps the reason for Collins’ phenomenal performance is more psychological than physical. With nothing holding her back, the 30-year-old is playing “free”.

‘That’s when you’re dangerous’ – Alexandra Stevenson on Danielle Collins

Talking on her podcast, Serving Aces With Alexander Stevenson, the podcaster shares her evaluation of Collins’ performance, “I feel like the pressure’s off, she’s playing free. And when you have a big, clean strike of the ball, and you play free, that’s when you’re dangerous.”

The pressures of playing at the top level are something that pro tennis athletes face more often than not, constantly going in and out of form. Stevenson is referring to this being Collins’ last season, which has taken the pressure off of her, resulting in increased focus and higher accuracy and adaptability.

She goes on to list another key factor in Collins’ winning performances, her serve. “Then her serve really impressed me. I never was impressed with her serve, but she went toe to toe with Rybakina and won.” As tennis is becoming a more high-paced sport, the number of points coming from serves is increasing, making it an even more integral part of the game.

Despite her dream run, Collins has shut down the speculations of reconsidering her decision to retire, citing her medical condition and hopes to start a family. She admits that the visible finish line is motivating her to play well.

‘I hope everyone can respect that’ – Danielle Collins

Talking to the media after her win at the Hard Rock Stadium, Collins says that her reasons for retiring are very personal but at the same time she appreciates fans’ intention in wanting to see her play more. She goes on to ask people to respect her decision to retire.

“I have some health challenges, and with those health challenges, it makes things for me away from the court a little more difficult. I hope everyone can respect that. It’s a very emotional and personal thing.” Collins even wonders if such questions are posed to male tennis players, asking them again and again to justify their reasons to retire.

Collins enjoyed overwhelming crowd support during the Miami Open as a Florida native. She thanked the crowd for being the wind beneath her wings and credited them for her impressive performance.

Knowing her potential when performing at her peak, the rest of Collins’ farewell tour holds the promise of being even more memorable! She is now set to face a higher-ranked Ons Jabeur in her second-round match-up at the WTA Charleston Open.

Read More: Danielle Collins Breaks Silence on Her First Post-retirement Activity – ‘I’m Training for A..’