WTA Abu Dhabi 2024: Stubborn Danielle Collins Refuses to Budge From Surprise Career Decision

Danielle Collins has not had it easy these last few years. After achieving the highs of reaching the 2022 Australian Open finals, it has been a steep downfall for her. As a result, she has dropped out of the top 50 WTA rankings. This year was a turning one for the American star and she didn’t have the greatest of starts. As a result, Collins stood firm on the saddening decision that she had made recently.

Collins bowed out of the recently-concluded Australian Open in the second round, losing against world no. 1 Iga Swiatek. Subsequently, she revealed that she would retire after this season. Hours ago, she made another admission about her retirement.

Danielle Collins sounds dejected despite her win

The 30-year-old is in the United Arab Emirates plying her trade in the Abu Dhabi Open. Earlier today, Danielle Collins recorded a thumping win over the former World Number 1, Naomi Osaka. What’s more, she inflicted a bagel over Osaka in the second set, winning the match 7-5, 6-0.

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Despite a confident win, Collins stood firm on her retirement decision. During the post-match interview, she reiterated that the 2024 season will be her final season on the tour. As a result, she made it clear that this post-Australian Open loss decision wasn’t just an emotional one.

Further, she went on to add, “At this point I could’ve easily not come over here, not played tournaments and just focused on the US swing or just getting ready for French Open or something like that. But I really wanted to get more matches and compete. I’m still playing, so it’s not over yet.”

Collins had made up her mind to hang up her cleats after losing the match against Swiatek Down Under. It came as a big surprise to not only her fans but also the entire tennis world. Here’s what she had to say.

Collins’ emotional retirement decision

The American star has strived for years on the WTA Tour. However, she has yet to achieve success on the sport’s biggest stage. The inconsistent performances have taken a toll on her and she eventually announced the sad decision to retire.

Collins said, “At this point, you know, I’m kind of at the end of my career and they don’t sting quite as much, to be honest. I feel like I have kind of gotten to the point where obviously they matter, and, you know, my career means a lot to me, but at the end of the day, you either win or you lose, and that’s all there is to it.”

But before this, Collins will strive to have one last laugh. She takes on the top seed, Elena Rybakina, in the second round in Abu Dhabi. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top in this exciting battle.

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