S. WILLIAMS/D. Collins
6-4, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. You really seemed to turn the tide to 4-1, then things shifted around dramatically.
DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, it was a bit disappointing after being up 4-1. I think Serena played some really great tennis to come back. I don't think I played my best in those moments.
I just have to try to learn from it, hopefully do better next time and be able to close out the set.
Q. How good does it feel to have done what you did here in Paris? Does it feel in a way like it's a new beginning for you?
DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I was really proud of myself for being able to win two matches here. Originally I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to play the tournament or to be able to perform at a high level like I did.
I'm happy with how I did here, but obviously I would have liked to have done a little bit better (smiling). Yeah, I think this is a new beginning in some ways. Now I'm not going to have to be dealing with so many of the issues I was dealing with before. Hopefully those issues stay away. You never know with this type of condition. Things can come back. I just hope and pray that things just keep going in the right direction for me physically and health-wise.
Yeah, it's kind of like a new beginning. I think there's a lot to look forward to now going into the grass season.
Q. Are you planning on staying in Europe, going right to grass, or going home in between?
DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I'm going to try to jump into the grass court season I think right away. I haven't had a lot of matches on grass as I would like to have had. I've only played maybe three years on grass, and I think two tournaments each year. Maybe a total of five or six tournaments.
I think that this can be a good opportunity for me to try to get some more matches on the grass and more experience under my belt.
Q. I'm working on a story about the increased visibility - I don't know how much Tennis Channel you watch at home - but on Tennis Channel there's been a lot of promotion of the betting side of things with their DraftKings partnership they have, putting odds on screen. I'm curious what you as an athlete and American tennis person make of this trend and this partnership?
DANIELLE COLLINS: To be honest, I haven't been watching a lot. I think I would love to be able to answer your question, but I think I would need to have more information before I give you a solid response. I'm just not sure right now.
Q. Looking at the landscape of sports more broadly, you look at how many athletes are doing well at advanced ages now, Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson won a major title in golf at 50, Serena is 39. That would have been once amazing. How do you see that yourself? At 27, do you think your timeline is a lot longer than you thought?
DANIELLE COLLINS: Well, I am 27. I think Phil Mickelson is how old?
Q. He's 50. I'm just saying looking at Serena, how she's doing, she's part of this trend, how you see your own timeline as somebody who is 27?
DANIELLE COLLINS: I think there's a lot of athletes that are playing much later in their career. I think that should give a lot of different athletes confidence, younger athletes especially, and not to put as much pressure on themselves.
I think you're seeing some of the greatest athletes in the world have some of their best success once they're a little bit older. I think that goes to the maturity, the experience that they have at that point. It just shows how much of sports is a mental game, more so than just a physical game.
I think for all players, it should give players confidence seeing somebody like Serena or Tom Brady or Phil Mickelson. Yeah, not to have to feel like when -- I think back in the day, people felt a lot of pressure to win slams early on in their careers. Now there's more and more people who are having their best results in their late 20s, early 30s.
For Serena in her late 30s, I mean, it's pretty impressive. And Venus is still out there, as well. She's doing well, so...
Q. It seems like you and Serena get along well. Would you like to see her win this title?
DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, that's exactly what I told her. I said I'd love to see her win the whole thing and I'd be supporting her.
Yeah, I mean, she's the greatest player of all time. I think we all admire and love Serena, especially the American players. I mean, it was pretty surreal today to go out there and be playing against somebody I remember watching at age nine and ten, playing here, to be here, to be sharing that court with her, this experience. I hope that I can be a steppingstone to her winning another slam. It would be really exciting and cool, so...
I'm going to be following every point.
Q. You're a tough competitor. One of your trademarks. How much of an intimidation factor do you think Serena still has at this stage of her career?
DANIELLE COLLINS: Can you repeat the last part?
Q. How much intimidation do you think she still has for players on the tour? You seemed like you were very focused today, maybe not as demonstrative as I've seen you in the past. Was that more a sign of respect for her or focus on your part?
DANIELLE COLLINS: I'm not sure. I think, yeah, I don't know. I think I was busy competing. I think no matter who I play, I always go out and have the same respect for anybody that I'm playing against.
I was very focused today. I was playing against the greatest player of all time, so she was coming up with some shots that were too good, that were incredible.
I can't really get too upset with myself in those moments.
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