QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 14, 2024

Danielle Collins

Press Conference

D. COLLINS/K. Siniakova

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Through to the quarterfinal. Talk to us about your match today. What are you most proud of?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I mean, I have played a lot of matches over the last two weeks, and, you know, just proud of my effort to come out here and play so many matches back to back and maintain a high level, and maintaining a high level of physicality but also tactically sticking to what's working.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You announced in Australian Open that this is your last season. Your body said stop or your mind? And you have decided this program of next tournaments? You will play in Italy?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Will I play in Italy? Was that the question?

Q. You play Italy this season?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Hopefully, yeah. You know, I announced that this would be my last season and didn't announce, like, which tournament would be my last tournament.

You know, I'm playing well right now and have some things that I'd like to accomplish before my career is over. Right now I'm just focusing on the matches and hopefully I'll be in Italy (smiling).

I love going to Italy and won a tournament there, in Palermo, and so it's always a place that I really enjoy. Yeah, fingers crossed I make it there (smiling).

Q. When you decided that this season is going to be the last for you, did you expect this kind of, like, a good result comes in the future?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Well, I have been top 7 in the world I think at one point in my career and had some good results. So at this point, you know, yeah, I expect myself to play at a high level and go out and win matches as much as I can. Yeah, I'm not too surprised.

Q. So do you think that knowing that this is going to be the last season, do you think that knowing these things helps you to play, like, less pressure or more determined? How do you think?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I mean, I guess it just depends on where your mindset is. I mean, you can always put more pressure on yourself. You can always take pressure off of yourself. It's just a mindset.

For me, I'm just enjoying my time on tour and I enjoy the travel and being out on court and being a competitive player, so I'm enjoying it. That's really all there is to it.

Q. What future awaits you? How do you see yourself in 10 years?

DANIELLE COLLINS: You know, I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I'll kind of continue working in tennis. You know, I think I definitely want to start a family. That's the main priority. And have other interests outside of the tennis court and kind of need to have the time and the space to be able to focus on, you know, what sparks my interest.

I feel like with the lifestyle we live and this being our full-time job and so much of our day-to-day revolving around preparing and getting ready for the next tournament and going out and competing, you know, we don't have a lot of time to kind of think about that next chapter unless you are thinking about doing something in tennis.

So I kind of need a little bit of time to figure out what that's going to be, but I think what I'm looking forward to the most is kind of stepping away from public eye a little bit and being able to have a, you know, quiet lifestyle and a simple one.

Q. You are in photos and Instagram off court often smiling, but when you play you're a great fighter. In reality, how are you?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I mean, I think in reality I'm pretty laid back. I'm a very simple person. I'm someone that likes to garden and cook and be with my animals and pets and be outside in nature and surfing, and, you know, doing so many things that are, I feel like, opposite of everything that goes into being a competitive tennis player.

You know, I think on court I'm obviously very competitive, I'm driven, just like the rest of the girls on tour.

Yeah, I mean, I do think having that balance has been important for me and having different things that kind of take me away from the tennis to be able to relax and turn off my brain as much as I can, because obviously when I get on the court, it's a lot. You know, I put so much energy into being competitive and the tactics and the physicality. So I have to kind of have those things that I look forward to.

But, yeah, I'd say I'm a pretty simple person off the tennis court. I feel like most people would probably describe me as pretty boring. I feel like inside I'm like an 80-year-old woman, yeah (smiling).