"This is Coco Gauff's destiny, her God-given talent... I was not like that" - Danielle Collins in awe of Gauff's mental fortitude, off-tennis growth
Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins are the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked American women’s singles players. Their journeys to the top, however, have been wildly different.
While Gauff made her mark on the Tour at the young age of 15 by making it to the second week of Wimbledon, Collins took the college route and did not debut on the main Tour till her mid 20s.
The Florida-born Collins has acknowledged the different paths that the two took in their respective careers. Taking note of Gauff’s breakout at such a young age during an appearance on the Advantage Connors podcast, the American appreciated the "phenomenal job" that Gauff has done.
She also hailed Gauff’s family system and her talent. For herself, she said she needed more time to prepare for the on- and off-court challenges that come with being a professional tennis player.
"There are a lot of people that are cut out for and do a phenomenal job. I mean, you look at someone like Coco Gauff and her support system with her family. And I think this is like her destiny, this is you, know, her god-given talent and it is what she is truly meant to be doing.
"And beyond tennis, I think she stands for so much outside of the sport as well. That's really important but for me, I was not like that. And I wasn't quite developed enough physically or mentally to be able to endure the challenges that come along with being a professional," she added (17.40).
Collins reflected on her college career, saying it gave her the time to grow and mature. She added her time at the University of Virginia helped shape her career.
"I needed to have a little bit more time to mature and to grow and to do so in a safe environment and I feel like, you know, I went to two great universities. I went to Florida my freshman year and then I transferred after not playing in the lineup there.
"I wanted to go somewhere where I knew I could play in the team that was really important. And I ended up having a really successful career at Virginia where I won two national championships," she said (18.10).
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins to spearhead home challenge at the 2024 US Open
Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins will be spearheading a strong home challenge at the 2024 US Open, which gets underway with main draw action on Monday.
While Gauff opens her title defense with a first-round encounter against Varvara Gracheva, Collins will lock horns with compatriot Caroline Dolehide. Pegula also takes on an American, Shelby Rogers, in her first opening match.
Collins is playing in her final US Open, having announced her decision to retire at the end of this season. Her best run at the tournament came in 2022 when she made it to the fourth round.