‘I Wouldn’t Want Her in My Draw’- Martina Navratilova Warns French Open Contenders of Dark-Horse Danielle Collins

Danielle Collins is in no mood to slow down as she approaches the final stretch of her tour! With Jessica Pegula’s withdrawal, she is currently the top-ranked American entering the French Open, after Coco Gauff demonstrated her versatility on clay courts. Recently, she received an acknowledgment from Martina Navratilova as she singled out Collins, one of the dark horses for the French Open 2024.

In a conversation ahead of the French Open, the 59-time Grand Slam champion came forward to talk about how the 30-year-old American can be a real underdog for the tournament. She said, “She would be my pick for a sneaky semifinal or final. I know I wouldn’t want her in my draw.”

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, along with other top-ranked tennis players, are expected to give tough competition in the clay-court major. Swiatek has risen to the top in recent months and just before the French Open, she reached the Strasbourg Final against Madison Keys. After breaking into the top 10 following the 2022 Australian Open finals, she struggled with injuries and her ranking dropped. Despite announcing her intention to retire earlier this year, she surprised everyone by winning matches and showing a dominant streak reminiscent of the greatest players.

Jessica Pegula believes the 12th-ranked player has done incredibly well and could perform well at the French Open. Due to injuries, Pegula is currently out, but she mentioned on a podcast that Collins is one of the tough competitors to watch. Pegula said, “The fact that she’s been able to back up these results week to week to week to week it seems it’s crazy. She’s someone that’s super dangerous and also pretty good on clay. Maybe not known as a clay quarter but she’s won several tournaments on clay and I think she can do really well.”

Is there any possibility that the 30-year-old would reconsider her retirement decision given the way she is moving up the tennis ladder, despite all of these accomplishments in the final year of her tour? That is still the biggest mystery. After such an incredible year, renowned journalist Christopher Clarey recently voiced his worries about the 30-year-old player’s choice to retire.

Danielle Collins’ retirement news takes a doubtful turn 

The host of the Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast, Mitch Michals, spoke with legendary tennis journalist Christopher Clarey on the most recent episode. Michals brought up Danielle Collins’ retirement when they were talking about her present form.

He said, “I can’t help but be a little skeptical that she is having this wonderful season. If she goes and wins the US Open and has this great top three year, she really won’t wanna shut it down…the Australian Open coming up. I believe her but part of me is journalistically and historically is a little skeptical.” Clarey explored the topic and voiced his concerns during the podcast, expressing mistrust similar to much of the globe in the wake of the Americans’s outstanding performances this year.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Collins’ French Open participation? Do let us know in the comment section below.