Danielle Collins: the late-blooming American on the brink of tennis glory

It looks to be a sublime matchup of contrasts when first-time grand slam finalist Danielle Collins of the United States takes on Australian native and world No 1 Ash Barty in the Australian Open final on Saturday in Melbourne. While Barty, seeking her third major title, is the clear favorite she’ll have to stave off the inspired Collins, who is in the best form of her career.

For the 30th-ranked Collins, 28, reaching the final is the culmination of years of hard work and stick-to-itiveness as her powerful, high-risk, aggressive game is finally paying dividends. Further, Collins’ rebound from surgery to treat endometriosis last spring has given her a renewed sense of optimism and focus. Before her semi-final demolition of Iga Swiatek, one of the pre-tournament favorites, Collins spoke about her physical recovery. “It finally got to the point where I couldn’t deal any longer with it physically or mentally. Once I was able to get the proper diagnosis and the surgery, I feel like it’s helped me so much – not just from a physical standpoint but from a mental standpoint.” Indeed, since July, Collins has a sterling 32-7 singles record.

Collins’ emergence at the top of the sport runs counter to the prevailing norms in women’s tennis. Compared to her American peers who reached a high level of success or renown at a young age (the Williams sisters, Sofia Kenin, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Coco Gauff among others), Collins is coming into her own in her late 20, normally late middle-age in women’s tennis years. Consider, Collins didn’t even turn pro until she was 22, after a stellar collegiate career that saw her win two NCAA titles at the University of Virginia.

The all-court, go-for-broke game that Collins possesses has always