How rising Dunblane tennis star is following in the Murray family’s footsteps

Ali Collins’ long-term goal is to play at Wimbledon but she is equally concerned with driving change and equalising opportunities within the world of tennis. 

Hailing from Dunblane, the same town where Andy and Jamie Murray grew up, the 21-year-old is now an established name on the ITF doubles circuit and hopes to help inspire the next generation of budding female tennis players. 

This desire to make a meaningful difference stems from Collins’ own experiences growing up. As a sports fanatic, she loved playing both football and tennis and eventually had to make the decision on which to prioritise. 

Despite her father, Lee, being a former professional footballer, tennis was the far more visible sport and Collins remembers having posters of the great Kim Clijsters in her bedroom.

“It kind of whittled down to tennis and football when I was around nine,” she told GiveMeSport Women. It was really tough [to decide which to play]. I think at the time, women’s football wasn’t as visible as tennis was for females. So I definitely watched a bit more tennis. I think I had really good hand-eye coordination at a young age.” 

Natural talent is not the only quality needed to make it as a professional, however. It takes dedication, motivation and a lot of sacrifices to have any chance of success. Collins remembers being 15 years old and leaving her small town in Stirling to move to Florida for training purposes. It was at this point she realised her dream could feasibly become a reality. 

“I started playing some of the top events in the world,” she recalled. “I played Junior Wimbledon and then I moved to Florida to train out there. I think that’s when it kind of hit me. I’d made such a big move at such a young age. And I was like, yeah