Growing up in St. Petersburg, Florida, Danielle Collins faced a demanding path to professional tennis. Rising before dawn, she practiced from 6 to 8 a.m. with her father, Walter, who owned a landscaping business. She vividly recalls one morning when a sick Walter, despite his own discomfort, ensured her training: “I wanted to go to practice so bad, I remember crying. And my dad got out of bed. He pulled himself out of bed, and he took me to practice and made sure I got my practice right before school.” Understanding the significant financial burden of the sport, her parents made considerable sacrifices to support her aspirations. Nearly two decades later, she now delivered a huge upset at the Italian Open and can’t help but think of her parents.
On Saturday, Collins stunned everyone at the Foro Italico by beating the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, 6-1, 7-5. After the match, she was asked about what the sport has taught her as a person. Prompting the 31 year old to reflect on her humble beginnings. “I think it shaped me so much, coming from a pretty humble beginning,” said she. “I think it’s hard getting into tennis,” she said.
Her journey to pro tennis was anything but typical. Collins blossomed in college tennis, winning two NCAA singles titles between 2014 and 2016 before turning pro. Her father, Walter, a lifelong tennis fan and landscaper who still works in his 80s, was her first coach and biggest supporter. He introduced her to tennis at age five, and their early practice sessions often ended with ice cream rewards. Her mother, Cathy, a preschool teacher, also worked tirelessly to help fund Danielle’s career. As she mentioned, “Tennis is an expensive sport, and my parents did everything for me. They were working double jobs, extra hours to be able to afford this.”
“And, you know, to be able to come out here and live out my dream- you know I was never a child prodigy, I had an unconventional route, but that hard work and perseverance is really made me into the person that I am,” Collins added. This win means a lot as it comes after a rough start to the season. Collins had dropped five of her first 12 matches and missed the Madrid Open, which caused her to fall outside the top 30 rankings. However, she was once at the top of her game.
Collins on how tennis has shaped her after beating Iga Swiatek in Rome
“Coming from a humble beginning, it’s hard getting into tennis. Tennis is an expensive sport. My parents did everything for me. They worked double jobs to be able to fund this.”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 10, 2025
Her breakthrough came in 2018 with a Miami Open semifinal, followed by a 2019 Australian Open semifinal and Wimbledon quarterfinal. Despite battling rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis-undergoing surgery in 2021-she won her first WTA title that year and reached the 2022 Australian Open final, climbing as high as No. 7 in the world.
Though she announced plans to retire in 2024 to start a family, complications from endometriosis led her to postpone retirement and continue competing in 2025. But beyond tennis, Danielle is an advocate for financial literacy.
Danielle opens up about how she learned to manage money
In 2023, during an episode of My Journey | WTA x Morgan Stanley, Danielle Collins opened up about her journey and the huge impact her parents had on her life. “Growing up with two parents that were so hard working and living paycheck to paycheck, I think definitely helped spark an interest in financial literacy and accounting properly,” she said. Now, Collins is a powerful advocate for financial literacy.
She added, “At 18 years old, I had $0 in my name, I didn’t come from financial opportunity, and knowing that I really felt like the best way to set myself up for success was going to college.” Danielle graduated from the University of Virginia in 2016 with a degree in media studies. But what she really needed as she started her pro tennis career was a better understanding of money.
“I graduated from one of the best schools in the country,” she said via the WTA website, “but not every program prepares you to be the most financially savvy person. When I got out of school, I didn’t really know how everything worked – I still don’t. One of the unique things about being a professional athlete is you have this opportunity to make a lot of money at a really young age, and when you’re younger you don’t always know how to manage that. Unfortunately, we all know of professional athletes who have been taken advantage of, we’ve heard the horror stories.”
Now, as she gears up to face No. 14 Elina Svitolina on May 12, Collins’ big win over Iga might be a motivator, right? But will this momentum push her deep into the tournament? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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