United Cup 2025: Danielle Collins Shines as an Entertainer While Taking a Backseat to Coco Gauff in Joyful Scenes

The United States, the reigning champions, have returned to the United Cup with one mission: reclaim their crown. The team, featuring Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, and Danielle Collins has cruised through to the semifinals, defeating the Czech Republic to set up a final showdown against Poland. But it’s not just their winning streak that has fans talking—their off-court chemistry is just as impressive.

Coco Gauff led the charge with a convincing victory over Karolina Muchova in the semifinal. Gauff sealed the win in just 1 hour and 27 minutes, defeating Muchova 6-1, 6-4. As Gauff gave her post-match interview, in true team spirit, Danielle Collins captured the moment on her camera.

A heartwarming video of Collins recording Gauff’s interview was shared on the United Cup’s Instagram story, dubbing Collins as the “content queen.” The WTA Instagram account later reshared the clip, captioning it, “We love when @danimalcollins has the camera.”

Collins herself joined in on the fun, sharing the story on her account with a caption that read, “I call myself #Coco’sBackupDancer.”

While Gauff’s victory set the tone, the United States secured their place in the final under unusual circumstances. Tomas Machac, playing for the Czech Republic, retired mid-match despite having a lead. Machac won the first set in a tie-break, held a 4-2 lead in the second, and even had match points at 5-2.

However, Fritz broke back to level the set at 5-5, applying pressure to Machac. With the match heading toward another grueling set, Machac decided to retire, allowing Team USA to advance. The Czech Republic’s hopes of a comeback were dashed, and the Americans moved on to face Poland in the final.

The 31-year-old is kicking off 2025 with a bang as she reaches the final of the United Cup. However, this wasn’t the plan a few months ago.

After a stellar 2024 season that saw her win titles in Miami and Charleston and break into the top 10, Collins had intended to retire. Her goal was to start a family, but fertility struggles led her to reconsider.

In an emotional Instagram post, Collins shared her decision to reverse her retirement. “While there are no guarantees in life, I hope to build on my 2024 momentum and keep playing until there is more certainty around my personal fertility journey. The only guarantee for now will be some more epic matches,” she wrote.

And with starting the 2025 season on such a high note, epic matches are almost guaranteed.

Danielle Collins kicks off the 2025 season after retirement reversal

Danielle Collins rejoined the United States team for the United Cup, reuniting with her crew from the Tokyo Olympics. “Yeah, I mean, after the Olympics, we just had to get the fam back together,” she told reporters as she joined the USA squad last week. She continued, “We had a good run there and had a great time with the same crew. It was a no-brainer after talking to everybody about coming back this year and kicking it off here in Perth.”

The American star isn’t just playing for fun, but is aiming for more success. After the United Cup, Collins will shift her focus to the Adelaide International where she will play her first individual tournament of the year on 6th January. She’s drawn a tough opponent for her opener: Ons Jabeur. After which she will be seen directly at the Australian Open on 12th January.

The World No.11 is determined to keep delivering on court, even as she balances her personal journey. Can Collins continue to defy expectations and make waves in the 2025 season?