Former World. No. 7 and soon-to-be-retiree Danielle Collins wanted no part of a ceremony meant to honoring her after she lost her final Grand Slam singles match at the U.S. Open on Tuesday.
Collins fell to fellow American Caroline Dolehide 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York.
The 11th-seeded Collins, 30, announced in January that she plans to retire at the end of the 2024 season. An abdominal injury kept her out of tournaments in Cincinnati and Canada.
When approached after Tuesday’s match by match tournament director Stacey Allaster, who was carrying flowers, Collins waved off the gesture and walked off the court.
At the post-match press conference, Collins said she prefers to avoid individual attention and had requested not to have any presentation on the court.
“I’m not somebody that likes to celebrate my accomplishments,” Collins said after the match. “I’ve struggled with feeling guilt, you know, around success, and that’s something I have had to work on.
“So I’m not great, honestly, at having an all-about-me moment. I … would prefer to do something like that maybe in private. But I feel like I’ve gotten enough attention to last a lifetime.”
Collins then used a scene from the 2004 film “Meet the Fockers” to explain how she feels.
“I was kind of thinking of that movie … where you know, Gaylord has a shrine and all his 18th-place medals,” Collins said with a smile. “I don’t want to be like Gaylord, so I think I’m good.”
Collins still is competing in doubles at the U.S. Open with partner Caroline Garcia.
–Field Level Media
