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The win over Elena Rybakina was Danielle Collins (pictured)'s first win against a top-five fighter since October 2022.
American Danielle Collins defeated fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina in straight sets to win the Miami Open and claim her first career WTA 1,000 title.
Collins, who plans to retire after the 2024 season, defeated Kazakhstan's Rybakina 7-5, 6-3.
This is the 30-year-old's third career title and first since 2021.
“It took me a little longer than a lot of guys on tour because I've been practicing hard,” Collins said while playing in his home state of Florida.
Speaking to Sky Sports, she added: “It was very special to have the whole stadium on my side. It was tough not to get emotional.”
By defeating 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina, world No. 53 Collins became the second unseeded women's champion in Miami, after Kim Clijsters in 2005.
In a tight first set with strong hitting, Collins secured an early advantage with her third set point.
After exchanging breaks early in the second set, Rybakina was made to pay for two missed break point opportunities when Collins converted her own opportunity to take a 5-3 lead.
The American, aiming for the title, squandered three match points and clinched the title with a fourth backhand winner.
This result marks Rybakina's second consecutive loss in the Miami finals, the first time she lost to Petra Kvitova in 2023.
“Elena really stepped up in the second set. The scores weren't that close in the second set, but I think it definitely showed in the match,” Collins said.
With the win, Collins will move up to No. 22 in the world rankings on Monday.
Collins suggested this week that her decision to step away from tennis was related to her endometriosis, a disease in which cells like those found in the lining of the uterus grow elsewhere in the body.
She underwent surgery in 2021 due to the “physical pain” it was causing her.
