Taylor Townsend Rushes to Teary-Eyed Danielle Collins’ Aid in Emotional Scenes at Cincinnati Open

Danielle Collins was more than happy to call it a day “playing on a high level” last year when she won two back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston. However, as she was forced to defer her plans of starting a family because of her struggles with endometriosis and fertility, she decided to reverse her decision. “While there are no guarantees in life, I hope to build on my 2024 momentum and keep playing until there is more certainty around my personal fertility journey,” she wrote in an Instagram update. Unfortunately for Collins, that momentum seems to have fizzled out now.

Collins ended last season ranked No. 11 in the world, but a year marked by uneven form has seen her slide to No. 57. Her 2025 campaign stands at 15–13, with her deepest runs being a quarterfinal in Charleston and a semifinal in Strasbourg. The North American hard-court swing has brought further setbacks: at the Citi Open, she fell in her opening match to Poland’s Magda Linette in straight sets. In Montreal, she exited in the round of 64 against world No. 2 Coco Gauff, and after dropping a tight set, smashed her racket to the court. That simmering tension carried over into her North American hard-court swing: following a first-round loss to Magda Linette in Washington, and then the emotional collapse in Cincinnati.

Midway through the second-set tiebreak, with the score at 0–2, Danielle Collins turned sharply toward her box and cried out, “Why does this keep happening to me?!”, her loud sobs echoing in the stunned silence of the crowd. She was upset at the match’s progression, and with reports claiming she might have been unwell during the play could have impacted her more. She pushed through to finish the set but could not stop Townsend from closing out the match 7-6(2). At the net, the two shared a brief one-arm hug with a couple of pats on the back, following which Collins briskly walked off the court. What TT did next has won the internet over.  @Tennischannel on Instagram reported it with the caption, “We all need friends like @tay_taytownsend ❤️”

As Collins made her way toward the locker room without her bag, Townsend took notice. She walked over to Collins’ bench, picked up the bag, and carried it across to her opponent’s team—a small but considerate gesture. The crowd burst into applause, and one of the commentators noted, “These two go way back, not sure what was happening with Danielle Collins.” When she reached Collins’ coaching team, Townsend handed over the bag and walked away. But amid it all, Townsend was also praised for “focusing on herself out there”. 

During Collins’ emotional outburst at 0–2 in the tiebreak, Townsend kept her head down, calmly preparing for her next serve. Without glancing toward Collins’ box or reacting to the moment, she bounced the ball, delivered a strong serve, and won the point as Collins’ return sailed long, eventually prevailing 6-4, 7-6 (2). It was the sort of composure that marked a turning point in Townsend’s season — after early struggles and a concussion in March that sidelined her for nearly two weeks, she has worked her way back to full fitness and is determined to finish 2025 strong. And while their competitive fire was evident in Cincinnati, what followed at the end was a reminder that the two are more than just rivals. 

They share a close bond with a history of mutual support that’s been visible through the years. In November 2024, when Townsend qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time, she posted a set of glamorous shots in a white gown with abstract floral earrings, prompting praise from peers including Danielle Collins, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula. Collins’s comment was simple and warm: “These are beautiful.” Earlier, when Taylor Townsend had to withdraw from the French Open due to injury, Collins was among the first to send a heartfelt message: “Thinking about you ❤️ sending hugs.” Collins may be polarising among fans for her on-court emotional displays, but within the tennis fraternity, her bonds, especially with Townsend, remain notably strong.