“This isn’t the place where I’ve had my most success.”– said Danielle Collins after her first-round win at the Wimbledon Championships. Despite being one of her favorite tournaments, Danimal has struggled to make it memorable. But that water has flown under the bridge way back, as she is back and ready to lay it on the Grass Courts of London. Armed with advice from the legendary Martina Navratilova, the American tennis star is hoping to extend her campaign as far as possible.

After suffering a heartbreak at Wimbledon, as she was ousted during the first round in the qualifiers, Collins vowed to be back on the grass when she made it to the main draw. At Wimbledon, the American narrated her ordeal about grass movement adjustments after months of sliding on the Red dirt of Paris in an interview with Navratilova. Consequently, the legend couldn’t help herself as she generously revealed the way to help Collins adjust her movements to the grass court better.

Talking about the footwork, Navratilova said, “You cannot push off the same way you do on hard court.” As hard court provides a better grip to the tennis player, while grass courts are relatively slippery and restrict big moments, which may result in unwanted dives or even falls. Moreover, the former World No.1 also told her the way to implement it, “Imagine having bare feet, so you automatically take smaller steps when you don’t have any protection.” Smaller steps would lead to more controlled movement on the grass, and lessen the chances of injury, which are a common happenings on this court.

In response to Navratilova’s advice, Danimal couldn’t help but use this opportunity to request her presence on the her side during the 2nd round. While acknowledging the tip shared by Navratilova, Collins said, “Maybe you can get on court with me and give me a little advice.” Certainly, who would be better to have than the legend with over 50 Grand Slams on your side, in the valedictorian lap of her career.

What is going to be her last year in the tennis circuit, is also going to be the most successful one for the American. Collins won the Charleston Open, and Miami Open, a finalist at Internationaux de Strasbourg and several quarterfinal appearances. And she is certainly looking forward to making this Wimbledon a memorable one too, as she battles Dalma Galfi in the 2R as she battles several health issues. 

Danielle Collins battles endometriosis and other health issue with off court trouble

It has been a tough journey for the American, as she looks forward to the sunset of her career. A few years ago, in 2021, Collins was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and in 2023 she had another shocking diagnosis waiting for her: endometriosis. But above all, there is another issue which has affected the player: Stalking.

Collins opened up about the stalking issue, and its effect on her. She said, “It has affected me very personally. Social media does open up so many opportunities for us to connect with fans, at the same time it sometimes gives access to people who are really unwell and not in a great mental head space. It does make you a little more cautious and skeptical.” Every person wants to connect with their fans but sometimes it leads to unwarranted issues!

Wishing Collins lots of luck on her last lap at the Grass Slam. Could she leverage her Danimal spirit and finally get lucky enough to bag herself a Grand Slam?