US Open 2024: Danielle Collins crashes out in first round in last Grand Slam appearance

Danielle Collins’ Grand Slam career came to an abrupt end on Tuesday afternoon when the world number 11 collapsed in the first round of the US Open against Caroline Dolehide.

Since announcing in January that this would be her final season, her swan song has exceeded expectations, with a 15-match winning streak and titles in Charleston and the Miami Open in her hometown.

But it was to be no fairytale story this week in Queens as she lost 6-1, 5-7, 4-6 to Dolehide in a two-hour, 40-minute marathon.

If Collins’ anger (she’s known to her fans as the “Danimal”) is her superpower on court, it also proved to be her kryptonite against Dolehide, who won her first US Open main-draw match in this match.

Caroline Dolehide claimed her first US Open main draw victory when she came back against Collins

The first frame was Collins at her best: powerful, precise and passionate as she overpowered Dolehide and electrified the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

However, Collins would soon channel that energy into something less useful: she threw and hit her racket several times and made 30 unforced errors in a deciding second set.

Collins, who competed with Team USA at the Olympics, said she had only “minimal preparation time” after the match. She also cited an abdominal injury that kept her out of Cincinnati and the Canadian Open. She also suffered heatstroke in Paris.

Still, she admitted that Dolehide had played “really well” after her rival turned the match on its head.

Dolehide had barely had a chance in the first set, but she didn’t give up in the second. She broke Collins at the first opportunity and remained loyal to her opponent during a terrible fifth game that lasted nine deuces and sixteen minutes.

Collins outlasted her opponent in that game to take a 3-2 lead in the second set. However, it was a sign that the older player, who faced 16 break points in the match, would not simply go through to the second round.

Collins, who will still play doubles at the US Open, declined a farewell on-court presentation after the loss

Ultimately, Dolehide frustrated Collins with her slice play as the 2022 Australian Open finalist edged closer to her final singles Slam appearance. A frustrating afternoon finally culminated when she declined an on-court presentation after the match.

“I’ve struggled with guilt, you know, around success, and that’s something I’ve had to work on,” Collins said. “So I’m not very good, honestly, at having, like, a moment all to myself. I would just, yeah, like, do that in secret, you know. But I feel like I’ve gotten enough attention to last a lifetime.

It must be said that she did not stop fighting.

Dolehide won the final set 5-3, Collins survived two match points to reach deuce thanks to a double fault from her opponent, before escaping her own serve.

However, there was no further talk of an escape attempt and the 25-year-old Dolehide put an end to Collins’ US Open singles career.