"What I always liked about Danielle Collins' game is she brings the Florida Juice" - Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci on American's fierce game

Danielle Collins has received high praise from Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci. The American coach praised Collins for her aggressive and fearless style of play, which he dubbed the "Florida Juice."

Collins, who is ranked No. 12 in the world, is currently playing at the 2024 Internationaux de Strasbourg, a WTA 500 tournament on clay. The American has reached the semifinals, where she will face the reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or Anhelina Kalinina.

Collins has won both of her previous matches in straight sets, defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-2 in the Round of 16 and Clara Burel 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. The third-seeded American is aiming to win her fifth WTA tour title and her second on clay.

Macci, who has coached many top players, including Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova, took to X to state that he always liked Collins’ game and admired her fighting spirit.

"What I Always liked about Danielles game is she brings the Florida Juice. She always had the blistering fire power and the quality of her laser angles is right up there with anybody. Her toughest competitor has always been herself now she not competing Against Danielle Collins," Macci wrote.

Danielle Collins, who turned pro in 2016, has been known for her aggressive and fearless style of play, as well as her fiery personality and vocal presence on the court. She has also overcome several challenges throughout her career, including being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2019 and undergoing emergency surgery for endometriosis in 2021.

Despite these health issues, Collins has continued to compete at the highest level and has won four WTA singles titles, including a WTA 1000 title at the 2024 Miami Open. The 30-year-old has also reached the quarterfinals or better at two of the four Grand Slam tournaments, with her best result being a runner-up finish at the 2022 Australian Open.

Danielle Collins announced earlier this year that 2024 would be her final season on the tour. She said she was ready for the next chapter of her life and wanted to return to a normal life.

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"Danielle Collins always had weapons and that's the game" - Serena Williams' coach Rick Macci

Danielle Collins at the 2024 Miami Open

Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci expected Danielle Collins to do well in 2024. The American coach shared his insights on the 30-year-old’s progress with Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat last month.

"I’ve always love Danielle Collins’ game. I’ve seen her play in the juniors," he told Sportskeeda.

Collins started late on the tour after playing college tennis for the University of Virginia, where she won the NCAA singles title twice, in 2014 and 2016. Macci believes that Collins' time in college helped her mature, but ultimately, it was her natural power and intensity that led to her success in tennis.

"Remember whether you go to college or straight to the pros, you’ve got to have weapons, you’ve got to have mental strength," he said.

"By her going to college that made her mature; she got a lot of experience; got away from home; she won the NCAA. But she's always had a lot of firepower," Macci added.

Macci emphasized the American’s strong points and said:

"She's always had weapons and that's the game. You’ve got to be able to hurt people. Now, maybe mentally when she's not there, she hurt herself. But with that firepower that she has off the ground, and she’s a great competitor – it didn’t surprise me at all about what she has done," he said.

Following her clay court campaign in Strasbourg, Danielle Collins will make an appearance at the French Open, starting on May 26. Collins is seeded 11th and will face compatriot Caroline Dolehide in the first round.