“Through reading and theater, my mind goes to difference places. This world can be so, so isolating, but through my creative spirit, I can see life through different lenses. I think that’s part of the reason why I’m so open and laidback, because I take that time for myself.”
Her favorite show is CATS, and like the characters in the once-longest-running Broadway production, Collins appeared ready to take her career to the Heaviside Layer at the end of 2024. Instead, she extended her wildly successful farewell tour—one in which she captured her first WTA 1000 title in Miami and returned to the Top 10—and played strong tennis well into the spring of the following season.
Our conversation happened a day after a stunning win over defending Rome champion Iga Swiatek, one that didn’t feel particularly close against the most dominant clay-courter of the decade.
Injuries ultimately slowed the American down in the second half of the season, the former world No. 7 shutting down her season after a strong run at the US Open’s revamped mixed doubles.
