Danielle Collins is currently living her last few moments as a professional tennis player. Soon after she came up with a desire to hang her racquet up for good, her performance graph started to experience a surge. While it is now time for everyone to revisit the intensity of clay courts in Paris, Serena Williams‘ former coach Rick Macci thinks that the 30-year-old could turn the tables, posing a challenge to none other than Iga Swiatek.
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Known for his undeniable analysis of tennis, Rick Macci recently shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports. He explained that Danielle Collins and not Coco Gauff, has the best chance to challenge Iga Swiatek’s dominance on clay. Macci highlighted Collins’ powerful game, saying, “She has the firepower. You know she can hurt you, and those are the people that can hurt Iga even on clay.”
Stating the only way to challenge the “Queen of clay”, he added, “You gotta be able to hurt her and you got to be having fun, best day of your life swinging free and just going for it. And Collins has that type of game okay, even on clay.” This didn’t just come up as a mere desire to see her win but also acted as a line of motivation for the WTA veteran.
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via Reuters
Although Danielle Collins is nearing the end of her professional career, her performance remains exceptional. Along with securing the biggest win of her career in Miami, the 30-year-old also had an impressive clay court season. She currently boasts a remarkable 16-5 win-loss record on clay in the ongoing season, which also included a massive run at the Italian Open, where she made it to the semi-finals.
Coco Gauff, on the other hand, had a successful clay court season as well. She won her first doubles Grand Slam title at the French Open and holds a 12-4 win-loss record on clay. Although she’s the one who leads Team USA at the Paris Olympics, Macci still decided to side with Collins.
Iga Swiatek, who recently claimed her fourth Roland Garros title, is currently considered to be the best player on clay. Despite Swiatek’s presence, Macci believes Collins could pose a threat to her dominance. However, even the 30-year-old bows down to the tough levels of Swiatek. After her loss to the Pole at the Australian Open, Collins praised Swiatek, saying, “Iga is like a brick wall. She’s so solid and consistent, it’s hard to find any weaknesses in her game.”
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Macci’s insights suggest that while Swiatek remains a dominant force, Collins’ aggressive style could possibly disrupt Swiatek’s momentum on clay. As the Paris Olympics continue to unleash the action, all eyes will be on Collins to see if she can challenge the reigning queen of clay.
Coco Gauff’s Paris Olympics campaign to face a possible threat against Iga Swiatek
Coco Gauff has already started to unleash her dominance at Roland Garros. The WTA made her first-ever Olympic appearance with a doubles showdown alongside Jessica Pegula. While she swiftly took down the Australian duo, it is now time for her to focus on the singles campaign.
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Gauff is set to begin her singles run against A. Tomljanović from Australia. Although she is expected to easily take down this rival, real challenges lie ahead of her run, raising a hurdle just one step behind her gold medal showdown. Even if the US Open champion manages to take down possible rivals such as Maria Sakkari and Jessica Pegula, she will have to take the court against the four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek.
While their head-to-head stats suggest a massive 11-1 lead for the Pole, it would surely be the toughest challenge for Gauff. As the glorious event continues, it still remains to be seen if she will be able to win her first-ever Olympic medal.
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Written By
Akshay Kapoor
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Serving Aces in Words
Akshay Kapoor, a tennis writer at EssentiallySports, was born into a family that breathes Tennis and grew up watching the electrifying rallies of the legendary Rafael Nadal. Coming with a prior experience in Sports Journalism, he excels in crafting pieces that set new trends. His analytical skills riding on the back of certification in Digital Marketing help inject in-depth research as he covers the business undertakings of Tennis stars.
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Edited By
Arunima Bhanot
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