Danielle Collins calls Madison Keys "an inspiration" as the 31-year-old American is applauding the reigning Australian Open for how open she has been about her struggles before and after achieving her ultimate tennis goal.
From her early days, Keys was tipped to be the next big thing in American women's tennis. And while she made the 2017 US Open final at 23 years old, she collapsed under the pressure and easily lost 6-3 6-0 to Sloane Stephens. Over the next couple of years, the American openly spoke about how major pressure and expectations negatively impacted her. Also, she admitted to turning to professional help.
Then, just three weeks before her 30th birthday, Keys achieved her ultimate tennis dream - she became a Grand Slam champion by upsetting Aryna Sabalenka in this year's Australian Open final. Later, the world No. 7 admitted that there was a time when she feared her window for winning a Grand Slam was closed. Also, she confirmed that she still talks with a therapist.
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Collins: I loved Keys' Australian Open and her being so open about everything she has dealt with
"Madison Keys' run to the Australian Open title is like truly something that has inspired me this year. I loved that run. Me also. I mean, just like how she's evolved as a person and been so open about different things that she's worked through and different struggles and adversity that she's faced and how she's been able to overcome all of that and how genuinely she's spoken about all of that," Collins said on The Gay Tennis Podcast.
"I just I love when people can go into these press conferences or these media opportunities and they offer substance to conversation that inspires other people because I mean we've all seen it, right? Like there's, you know, understandably so. Like some people aren't as comfortable talking in front of media like as others. So I understand that."
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Collins has her own issues outside of tennis. Last year, Collins revealed that she was diagnosed with endometriosis few years earlier and that the condition was making it very hard for her to achieve her motherhood goals.
