Collins defeats Rybakina to lift Miami Open in farewell season
Danielle Collins, an American, defeated fourth seed Elena Rybakina 7-5 6-3 in the final of the Miami Open on Saturday, winning the title on home turf in her final season.
Collins won nearly 75% of her first-serve points and three of her seven break points on her way to victory in just over two hours following a stunning second set that left the audience, including former Miami champion Andre Agassi, breathless.
"This is my first WTA 1000 (title) and I worked so hard, it has taken me a bit longer than a lot of the other players," said 30-year-old Collins of her triumph.
"This whole week has been tough - I have played against some of the best players in the world, including being out here and sharing the court with Elena in the final," Collins said.
"Thank you to the fans. I've played a lot of tennis and in a few finals, but nothing compares close to this."
Collins, who announced in January that she would retire from tennis at the end of the season, was a surprise winner at the East Coast tournament, surpassing her performance at the 2022 Australian Open, where she reached the final.
She becomes the sixth American woman to win the title, following Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, three-time champion Venus Williams, eight-time winner Serena Williams, and Sloane Stephens.
The unseeded American relied on her strength to hold the lead early on, converting break points against Rybakina, who kept levelling the score, before finishing the first set with a stunning cross-court backhand winner on the hour mark.
Rybakina refused to go quietly after her opponent took a 2-0 lead in the second set, and she battled back, capitalising on unforced errors to tie the match at 3-3.
However, the American regained the advantage after saving three break points to win the seventh game, leaving the former Wimbledon champion unable to recover.
Rybakina, who lost to Petra Kvitova in the Miami final last year, did not compete at Indian Wells this month due to a gastrointestinal problem.
She returned to the courts and had a fantastic run, defeating Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in three sets in the semi-finals, but she admitted she didn't expect to compete for the title.
"We didn't expect coming here to be in the final, to be honest, but it was a great two weeks. A lot of tough matches and great battles," the 24-year-old said.
SportsLigue