The 30-year-old has bagged two WTA Tour titles this year and entered the US Open as the No. 11 seed, brimming with optimism. Although she had never advanced beyond the fourth round of her home Grand Slam, there was a palpable sense that this could be her chance for a dream send-off. However, top-level tennis is rarely predictable – as she found out the hard way.

During her opening round match against fellow American Caroline Dolehide, Collins demonstrated her understanding of what’s at stake as her plan for a dream farewell turned sour.

After winning the first set 6-1, she had to battle hard in the second set. She fell behind 2-0, then broke back, and subsequently faced a barrage of break points in the fourth game of the set.

In response to one break point, she fired an ace, followed by a triumphant scream – a rare display of emotion on a sweltering afternoon where she had otherwise maintained a steely focus. However, when she missed an opportunity to break Dolehide later in the set, failing an overhead shot she’d usually make and missing the chance to serve for the set, her frustration was evident.

In a fit of rage, she first threw her racket to the ground before violently smashing it off the court. Dolehide eventually clinched the set 7-5, pushing the match into a decider and leaving Collins needing to swing the momentum back in her favour in order to advance to the second round.

She was unable to do that, losing the third set and being knocked out in the first round. She left the court quickly and headed straight to her media duties without accepting flowers as a post-match gesture of appreciation before her career comes to an end.

Despite her attempts to treat this as just another game, the reality was that there was a lot riding on this match.

The draw had been favourable, steering clear of many heavyweights. This was her final opportunity to secure a dream Grand Slam send-off at home, ahead of her imminent retirement – a decision she firmly states she won’t reverse.

Collins had to overcome injury setbacks to make it to Flushing Meadows. She was compelled to withdraw from the Olympic Games due to injury, pulling out of warm-up tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati before making her comeback on Louis Armstrong Court.

A few weeks prior to the tournament, she posted an update explaining: “Little update for all who have been reaching out and checking in on me since my injury at the Olympics.”

“After suffering a heat stroke in Paris, I strained my rectus abdominis. I had a similar injury to this area almost four years ago that kept me from competing for over four months.”

“Naturally, I don’t want history to repeat itself. As I near the end of my career, it’s crucial to rest and recover so that this can heal as quickly as possible.”