Unseeded Danielle Collins beats Elena Rybakina to claim Miami title

American tennis player Danielle Collins defeated Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in two sets to clinch the Miami Open title.

This is the first big WTA 1,000 title for the 30-year-old American player. This victory marks her third career title overall, with the last one being in 2021. She beat the fourth-seeded tough opponent in two straight sets of 7-5 and 6-3.

"I've worked so hard and it's taken me a little bit longer than a lot of players on tour," said Collins, while playing in her home state of Florida.

Speaking to Sky Sports, she said, "Having a whole stadium on my side was something so special. It's been hard not to get emotional."

The victory makes Collins, ranked 53, the second unseeded woman player after Kim Clijsters to win the Miami title without being seeded after she defeated Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022. Kim won the Miami title in 2005.

In a closely contested first set, Collins secured an early lead on her third set point. In the second set, both players exchanged breaks, but Rybakina missed crucial break-point chances to break Collins' serve, which cost her. Collins then took the lead 5-3. Collins ultimately clinched the championship with a backhand winner.

This is the second time in a row that Rybakina has lost in the final of the Miami Open. Last year, she lost to Petra Kvitova in 2023.

"Elena really picked it up in the second set. even though the second-set score wasn't quite as close, I think in the games it definitely was," said Collins.

After winning, Collins is set to climb to 22nd place in the world rankings on Monday.

Collins recently said she would quit tennis because of endometriosis. It is a condition where cells like those in the womb grow in other parts of the body. In 2021, she had surgery because it was causing her a lot of pain.