- Danielle Collins announced earlier this season that she would be retiring.
- But his good form did not continue at the US Open as he crashed out.
Danielle Collins’ Grand Slam run came to an end on Tuesday afternoon when the world number 11 fell to Caroline Dolehide in the first round of the US Open.
Since announcing this season would be her last in January, her swansong has exceeded expectations by putting together a 15-match winning streak and claiming titles in Charleston and the Miami Open.
But there would be no fairytale chapter in Queens this week as she lost 6-1, 5-7, 4-6 to Dolehide in a two-hour, 40-minute marathon.
If Collins’ rage (known as ‘Danimal’ to her fans) is her on-court superpower, it also proved to be her downfall against Dolehide, who won her first US Open main draw match at this competition.
Danielle Collins lost her composure when she lost in the first round after winning the first set 6-1.
Caroline Dolehide earned her first US Open main draw win by coming from behind to beat Collins.
The first frame showed Collins at her best: powerful, precise and passionate as she overwhelmed Dolehide and stoked the energy of the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
That energy would soon be channeled into something less useful for Collins, however, as she threw and hit her racquet on several occasions and committed 30 unforced errors in a crucial second set.
“I was all over the place with my shots,” he said afterward.
Collins, who competed in the Olympics with Team USA, cited “minimal preparation” time before the subsequent match, and also referenced an abdominal injury that kept her out of Cincinnati and the Canadian Open, as well as the heat stroke she suffered in Paris.
Still, he acknowledged that Dolehide played “very well” after his competitor turned the match around.
After barely having a chance in the first set, Dolehide refused to weaken in the second, breaking Collins’ serve at the first opportunity and holding off her opponent for a scandalous fifth game that lasted nine deuces and 16 minutes.
Collins would outscore her opponent in that game to get to 3-2 in the second set, but it was a sign that the older player, who faced 16 break points in the match, would not simply be cruising into the second round.
Collins, who will continue to compete in doubles at the US Open, rejected an on-court retirement presentation after the loss.
Ultimately, a measured Dolehide frustrated Collins with her slice game and the 2022 Australian Open finalist edged ever closer to her final Grand Slam singles appearance as a frustrating afternoon culminated in her refusing an on-court performance afterwards.
“I’ve struggled with guilt, you know, in relation to success, and that’s something I’ve had to work on,” Collins said. “So, honestly, I’m not very good at having a time where I just take care of myself. I just, yeah, I’d rather do something like that maybe in private, you know. But I feel like I’ve gotten enough attention to last me a lifetime.
The good thing is that he didn’t stop fighting.
With Dolehide leading 5-3 in the final set, Collins survived two match points and moved to deuce with the help of a double fault from her opponent before escaping on her own serve.
There would be no more escape, however, and 25-year-old Dolehide ended Collins’ singles career at the US Open.
