Danielle Collins has officially played her final major match after losing to Caroline Dolehide in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday.
Collins, who's ranked No. 11 in the world, dominated in the first set, winning 6–1. She attempted to come back in the second set, but Dolehide won 7–5. Dolehide captured the final set 6–4 to end Collins's major career.
Collins and Dolehide hugged at the net after the match, but Collins quickly left the court. The ESPN commentators noted that there may have been a ceremony for Collins in regards to her career, but she didn't get to see it. She still received a loud applause from the crowd with Dolehide joining in.
Danielle Collins has played her last Grand Slam singles match. The commentators said it seems she declined an offer for some sort of ceremony. pic.twitter.com/KiVM6NHd4T
— Tennis GIFs 🎾🎥 (@tennis_gifs) August 27, 2024
Collins had quite the answer for why she walked off the court so quickly.
“I’m not somebody that likes to celebrate my accomplishments," Collins said. "I’ve struggled with feeling guilt around success. I’m not great about having an 'all about me' moment. I’d prefer to do something like that maybe in private. I feel like I’ve gotten enough attention to last a lifetime. I was thinking of that movie Meet the Parents or Meet the Fockers where Gaylord has his shrine and all his 18th place medals. I don’t wanna be like Gaylord so I think I’m good."
The 30-year-old announced earlier this year that she plans to retire at the end of the WTA season. She's had an incredible year, including winning back-to-back WTA titles, the Miami Open and the Charleston Open, in the spring. She played in the 2022 Australian Open final, losing to Ashleigh Barty.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Danielle Collins Loses to Fellow American Caroline Dolehide in Final Major Appearance.
