“Mister Q! Quincy, I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you, sir!!” Danielle Collins credited her beloved furry friend for her Miami triumph last year, before following it up with a title triumph at Charleston. Her adorable pet dog was her “MVP,” accompanying her through moments of glory. And guess what? This season’s no different when it comes to ‘Danimal’ finding a ‘good luck charm‘. The defending champion of Charleston is in red-hot form this week, making it to the last eight of the tournament again. But do you know who her inspiration is behind her indomitable campaign this year? No, it’s not Quincy – for a change.
Collins defeated Jelena Ostapenko on Thursday in the R16 (7-5, 6-3) to keep her Charleston Open run alive. Following her straight-set win over the Latvian WTA pro, the American sat down for a quick chat with Tennis Channel. However, she was also accompanied by a little girl.
Spilling the beans, the World No.22 revealed, “This is my friend Rachel. We met at the court a few days ago. I saw Rachel doing some service motions when I was practicing my serves.” And what happened then? “So I asked Rachel to come out, and I wanted to see her service motion. She showed me some amazing serves, even helped me with my own serve. And we played some points together.”
But that’s not it! Collins remarked that they’d turned into besties already. Proof? Collins revealed how Rachel “came out to the last two matches with mom and dad and her sister, and she’s just become my little good luck charm at this point.”
The host, being curious, asked Rachel, “How long have you been playing tennis?” To which, she replied, “I’ve been playing tennis since I was three, but I was like playing tennis even when I was like in my mom’s belly.” Collins exclaimed, “Aww”. The host then asked the girl about her experience of playing against Collins. The answer was adorable again. “It was very good, I would say. And it was so nice meeting her,” the little girl remarked.
For the uninitiated, Tennis Channel shared a short clip a few days back on IG. It showed a cute little girl, now revealed as Rachel, taking on Collins in a tennis match, who was seen hitting back playfully, keeping her shots gentle. Apparently, Rachel had some great strokes in her arsenal as one of her forehands eventually beat Collins. “That forehand tho ,” read the caption in the post.
It was undoubtedly a moment to remember for little Rachel. She seemed ecstatic to meet the American WTA pro. They both even shared a tight hug before Rachel left the court, jumping in excitement. Even WTA’s official X Instagram account appreciated this cute moment, commenting “Our hearts ” under the post. Collins just keeps winning hearts, doesn’t she?
More than a week ago, she rescued a stray dog after spotting it on the streets of Miami. She took the wounded dog to the hospital, where he made a speedy recovery in five days. And guess what Collins did afterwards? Naming him ‘Crash’, she later shared an update informing her fans that the dog would join her furry family back home.
“I have officially adopted him and Quincy now has a new brother! Once he finishes recovering he will be attending school thank you to everyone who prayed for Crash Also a massive thank you to the wonderful team of veterinarians that took care of Crash and helped him receive the best possible care!” she wrote on IG on March 26. Crash will join Quincy and three other dogs, belonging to Danimal’s parents.
Collins surely has a kind heart, but it’s not only off-court that she is making headlines. She has been in phenomenal form with racket in hand as well and has been on an invincible run in Charleston so far. But the journey is still far from over as she gears up for the next battle against a familiar face.
Danielle Collins looks to repeat Charleston glory as she faces Jessica Pegula in QF
Last season, Danielle Collins won back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston. Following her emphatic win over the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the Miami final, she continued her domination in South Carolina too. In the ultimate clash against the now-Aussie Daria Kasatkina, the American won in straight sets 6-2,6-1 and cruised her way to a second straight WTA title. With that, she also became the first woman, since Serena Williams in 2013, to clinch back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston.
However, this season, Collins couldn’t defend her Miami crown. After showing promising signs, having won her first two rounds, she faltered against World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. The eventual winner of Miami ousted Collins in R16 with a score line of 6-4, 6-4.
But at the Charleston Open, Collins seems to be in high spirits. She opened her campaign a few days back with a straight-set win over compatriot Robin Montgomery with a score line of 6-3, 6-1. And then she eliminated Ostapenko in R16, securing a ticket to the QF round. Collins is now set to face compatriot and World No.4 Jessica Pegula on Friday.
Pegula has already won a title this season, at the ATX Open in Austin last month. And guess what? She’s coming off an impressive run in Miami, where she reached the final before losing to arch rival Sabalenka.
Now looking at their h2h history, the odds are in Pegula’s favor who’s leading 5-0 at the moment. It looks like a tough challenge for Collins as she looks to defend her Charleston title. Do you think Danimal will be able to turn the tables on Pegula this time around? Let us know in the comments below.
The post ‘My Good Luck Charm’ – Danielle Collins Credits Her New Cute Little Friend Behind Her Impeccable Success in Charleston appeared first on EssentiallySports.