Danielle Collins credits grand slam run to upbringing on Florida’s public courts

Danielle Collins will play on the biggest stage in tennis when she faces Ashleigh Barty in the Australian Open final but in key moments her mind will drift back to the park courts of Florida.

Collins is the latest in a long line of American women to have reached grand slam finals but her path to get there makes her stand out.

From a blue collar background, the 28-year-old learned the game playing with her father and the regulars down at the park in St Petersburg, which she credits with helping her tactically and mentally.

Prior to travelling out to Australia, Collins was down at the park with her boyfriend and a ball machine, and she said: “Even when I’m here and playing in these stadiums, I think back to all the special moments that I have had there.

“It’s really like a zen moment for me sometimes to think about playing in the park. I’m going to have to think about that a lot when I’m on court with Ash.”

Collins resisted turning professional as a teenager, instead going to college and dominating the tennis circuit there before trying to break on to the WTA Tour.

Her slam breakthrough came in Melbourne three years ago when she surged into the semi-finals, and she has gone one better this year following surgery last spring for endometriosis.

To be playing on this stage where so many of my idols as a kid played, it's almost surreal.- Danielle Collins

Now Collins finds herself following in the footsteps of childhood heroes Venus and Serena Williams by competing for a grand slam title.

“Those were my favourite matches,” she said. “I would ask my parents to get up early in the morning to watch their night matches.

“To be playing on this stage where so many of my idols as a kid played, it’s almost surreal. This is just what we