"Peyton Stearns will carry the torch" - Danielle Collins picks compatriot as the heir apparent to her iconic 'Come on' celebration

Danielle Collins recently picked fellow American Peyton Stearns as the successor to her famed "come on" celebration.

Collins has been in good form at this week's Miami Open. The World No. 53 started her campaign on a great note, overcoming a set deficit to beat Bernarda Pera in their first-round encounter. She then didn't drop a single set in her next two wins over Anastasia Potapova and Elina Avanesyan en route to the Round of 16 at the WTA 1000 tournament.

Speaking to on-court interviewer Blair Henley following her third-round win against Avanesyan, Danielle Collins was posed with a rather interesting question: 'Which player on the WTA Tour would she pick as the heir apparent to her fierce "come on" celebration?'.

The 2022 Australian Open runner-up was quick to reply, stating that Peyton Stearns would be a worthy successor to her trademark fist pump. She then expressed her fondness for the 22-year-old, who is also popular for the intensity of her "come on".

"Oh, I feel like Peyton Stearns, you know? Peyton Stearns is my little buddy, and watching her compete and do the "hook em" out there 'cause she played in Texas, it's like so much fun watching her. So, she'll carry the torch," Danielle Collins said during her on-court interview in Miami.

Peyton Stearns eventually caught wind of her compatriot's answer, reposting a clip of the on-court interview on her X (formerly Twitter) handle.

"Hook ‘em baby!!" Peyton Stearns wrote.

---

Danielle Collins to face Sorana Cirstea for a place in the quarterfinals of Miami Open 2024

Danielle Collins hits a forehand

Danielle Collins will next take on the 19th seed Sorana Cirstea at the 2024 Miami Open, with the winner going through to the last eight. The American leads the Romanian by a margin of 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings, having defeated her in three sets in their first-round encounter at the 2018 Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Collins will be keen on reaching the quarterfinals in Miami, considering it is her most successful WTA 1000 tournament to date. The 30-year-old qualified for the event in her 2018 debut before upsetting top players like Venus Williams and Jelena Ostapenko en route to the semifinals.

The American exited early from the Miami Open in her next two appearances before recording a quarterfinal appearance at the 2022 edition of the tournament. All in all, she has played at the 1000-level event five times in her career.