Danielle Collins shared the story behind her introduction to tennis, explaining how her parents used bribes to motivate her before tournaments. This approach played a vital role in fueling her determination to succeed during her formative years in the sport. The American athlete’s candid reflection offers insight into the origins of her drive and dedication.
Since joining the WTA Tour in 2014, Collins, now 31, has become known for her tenacity and notable achievements, including winning the prestigious Masters 1000 Miami Open and reaching the Australian Open final. These successes reflect the foundation laid during her early tennis journey.
Speaking recently on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, Collins opened up about her childhood experience with motivation. She revealed,
“This might be frowned upon, but I actually think it’s really good. Like my parents used to bribe me a lot. And so they were like, ‘look, if you, you know, if you’re able to win this tournament, like we’ll get you a new outfit or like you win this tournament, you can get a hamster’ or like little things.” —Danielle Collins, Tennis Player
She further explained how those simple rewards gave her a compelling reason to stay focused and push herself, saying,
“I think that having that motivation really helped me to want to actually be productive because I mean, if you don’t have that motivation, I feel like most kids are just going to like, want to sit at home and, you know, play Candy Land. I mean, that’s what I wanted to do. So for me, I felt like I had a lot of motivation because of my parents and I had fun picking up those trophies. So that was really the reason that I got into tennis.” —Danielle Collins, Tennis Player
Later in the conversation, Collins noted how her reasons for excelling evolved, eventually focusing on earning a college scholarship, which added a new level of ambition to her pursuits.
Recent Highlights and Upcoming Appearance at the National Bank Open
After a remarkable 2024 season highlighted by her Miami Open victory, Collins has faced a range of outcomes in 2025. Most recently, she competed in the Wimbledon Championships, advancing to the third round. Her run included straight-sets victories over Camila Osorio and Veronika Erjavec before being eliminated by the tournament’s eventual champion, Iga Swiatek, with scores of 2-6, 3-6.
Looking ahead, Collins is preparing to participate in the National Bank Open, a Masters 1000 event set to take place in Montreal, Canada, from July 27 to August 7. This tournament will mark the beginning of the hard-court season for many top players and represents an important opportunity for Collins to build momentum.
Why Danielle Collins’ Early Drive Matters for Her Career
Understanding the roots of Danielle Collins tennis motivation story reveals how early incentive strategies helped transform simple childhood encouragement into lasting ambition and grit on the professional circuit. Her journey shows the value of perseverance fueled by personal motivation, whether from incentives or broader goals like education and professional achievement.
As Collins continues her career, her ability to draw from both past motivations and present goals will likely remain key to her performance. The upcoming National Bank Open will offer a fresh stage for her to demonstrate this resilience, contributing to her evolving story on the WTA Tour.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What condition does Danielle Collins have?
A. Collins has endometriosis, where cells like the ones in the uterus grow in other parts of the body. Before she planned to retire, doctors informed her that her endometriosis might delay her ability to become pregnant.
Q. Does Danielle Collins face yoga work?
A. Research by dermatologists at Northwestern University found that doing Face Yoga for 20 weeks can make you look three years younger. Additionally, doctors tested my Method on the BBC1 show “Twinstitute” and found that Face Yoga can make skin appear one year younger in just one month.
Q. What is Danielle Collins’s condition?
A. In 2019, Collins found out she has rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune condition causing painful joint swelling and may impact other body areas. According to the CDC, women are two to three times more likely to get RA than men.
Q. Why is Danielle Collins not retiring?
A. Before she planned to retire, doctors informed her that endometriosis could make it harder and longer for her to become pregnant. Consequently, she chose to continue playing and declared in October that she would not retire just yet.