“One of My Favorite Players”- Danielle Collins Reveals the Forgotten Russian Legend Who Inspired Her to Overcome Major Struggles

For nine years as a professional, Danielle Collins has navigated the complexities of her serve, a contrast to the often-lauded serves of many others. Back in 2020, she shared how her dad took her to numerous coaches trying to fix her service motion, but they found comfort in watching Elena Dementieva– famous for double-faulting yet still climbing to No. 3 in the world. “I really wish when I was younger I would have spent more time working on the serve,” Collins admitted. Now, having defeated a titan at the Italian Open, Collins pays tribute to her role model.

On Saturday, the American took down three-time champion Iga Swiatek in a nail-biter in Rome, winning 6-1, 7-5. Collins snapped a brutal six-match losing streak by dethroning the defending champion-even with 6 double faults and less than 50% first serves. How did she pull it off?

In the post-match press conference, she revealed her unexpected inspiration: “Growing up, I watched a lot of Elena Dementieva. Elena Dementieva made a career for herself not making many first serves. That was a really tough shot for her. She had so many other special parts of her game that made her the player she was. She was athletic.” Collins clearly admires how Dementieva thrived despite serve struggles.

Dementieva was a powerhouse with a complicated serve. Over 13 years, she won 16 singles titles, reached two Grand Slam finals in 2008, and claimed Olympic gold at Beijing. But her serve was notoriously weak; in 2004, she won just 39% of her second-serve points. Over the years, she improved steadily, finishing her career in 2010, winning 47.1% of second-serve points-slightly above tour average. That grit fuels Danielle Collins. She said, “Sometimes when I have a bad serving day I think about Elena Dementieva and all of the things she was able to achieve, even when the serve or first serve wasn’t working well for her.” 

“It just shows you you can have one area of your game not be effective one day, but if you have other skills and talent, you can apply that and really achieve some great things, so… She’s inspiring to me at times (smiling),” she added. Talking about her idol clearly lights her up: “I loved her. She was one of my favorite players to watch.”

Coming back to her Rome campaign, Danielle Collins is now the oldest player to defeat a top-2 ranked opponent at the Internazionali d’Italia in the last 40 years. Her journey wasn’t easy, but she made it work. For that, she credits her parents!

Danielle gives credit to her parents for their hard work

After the match, during the on-court interview, Collins was asked what tennis has taught her as a person. The 31-year-old reflected on her humble beginnings: “I think it shaped me so much, coming from a pretty humble beginning. I think it’s hard getting into tennis,” she said.

Her path to pro tennis wasn’t typical. Collins thrived in college, winning two NCAA singles titles between 2014 and 2016 before turning pro. Her dad, Walter, worked as a landscaper, still working in his 80s-was her first coach and biggest supporter. Meanwhile, her mother, Cathy was a preschool teacher and worked tirelessly to fund Danielle’s career. “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,” she shared.

Collins added, “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.” This win feels especially meaningful after a rocky start to the season. She lost five of her first 12 matches and missed the Madrid Open, slipping outside the top 30.

Now, heading into the round of 16 against Elina Svitolina, with a 2-1 head-to-head lead, it’s exciting to see if Collins can make a deep run in Rome! What do you think?