Danielle Collins continued to impress in her final season on the WTA Tour after winning the Charleston Open title on Sunday with a convincing 6-2 6-1 win over fourth seed Daria Kasatkina.
Collins also shared an adorable moment with her dog, Quincy, during the presentation ceremony.
With the victory, Collins extending her superb winning run to 13 matches.
The 30-year-old American, who bagged her first Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open last month, clinched the one-sided contest in 77 minutes.
"Thank you to everyone who came up and support me. I feel at home playing here. Having this type of crowd really means a lot," Collins said.
She also lauded her idol, Serena Williams, for teaching her that anything is possible.
“Growing up, Serena was my idol. I think the Williams sisters taught all of us it doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter what you look like, your background, or how much money your parents have. If you set your mind to something and work your tail off, anything is possible. I resonated with their story,” she added.
“My dad was my coach. We were at public parks. My parents were driving me all around and working double, triple shifts just so they could support my dream. Having those 2 as idols and people to look up too, I definitely feel like sometimes the way I try to hit my shots is a byproduct of watching Venus and Serena play. To have their support and for them to be so vocal, I feel so grateful. They’re amazing on and off the court. Every time they say something nice about me, I just totally blush. I fangirl a little bit. I gotta admit. If you guys are watching this, I love you guys. So, thank you.”
The 2022 Australian Open runner-up announced in January that she would bring the curtain down on her career this year in order to start a family.
"First of all I wanted to say I'm going to miss you (Danielle), you're such a character, your personality is amazing. I think tennis is going to lose a lot after your retirement, enjoy this moment," Kasatkina told the American during the presentation ceremony.
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