"He didn't know anything about tennis, which was really nice" - Danielle Collins opens up on 'exciting' first meeting with boyfriend Bryan in London

Danielle Collins has opened up about her relationship with her boyfriend Bryan, sharing the story of how they first met.

After clinching her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Miami Open, Collins continued her impressive form by advancing to the semifinals of the Charleston Open. The American secured a 6-3, 6-4 win over Elise Mertens to register her 11th straight win and reach the last-four of the WTA 500 event.

The 30-year-old had special support in the form of her boyfriend Bryan during her victory, who made the journey from Boston to cheer her on after a busy week at work.

Danielle Collins revealed that she and Bryan have been dating for a while after their chance encounter in a coffee shop in London following her exit at Wimbledon.

"Yeah, Bryan made the trip from Boston. He's had a really busy work week. We have been going out for a while now. We met at a coffee shop in London so that was pretty exciting," Danielle Collins told the Tennis Channel.

"I didn't think I would meet someone at a coffee shop. Who would have thought? Just after the tournament, Wimbledon," she added.

Collins shared that Bryan had no knowledge about tennis or of her being a professional tennis player when they met. The American asserted that she found this dynamic "exciting," adding that it's fun to be able to learn and grow together.

"He didn't know anything about tennis, and he didn't know I was a tennis player, which was really nice. He was actually a bigger fan of golf and so he said, 'Well I really like golf. I don't really know much about tennis.' And I was like, 'Yes! That's so exciting,'" she said.

"Because it's fun to kind of be around someone that has interests in other things and that's not as familiar with the sport because you get to learn and grow with them and help them," she added.

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"I literally couldn't walk, I was having to have my boyfriend help me a lot" - Danielle Collins on 'awful' physical struggles before Miami Open triumph

Danielle Collins won the 2024 Miami Open

Before Danielle Collins' fairytale run to the Miami Open title, she suffered a back injury at the ATX Open, which forced her mid-match withdrawal in the quarterfinals. Subsequently, the American lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the second round at Indian Wells.

Following her triumph in Miami, Collins opened up about the "awful" challenges she faced behind the scenes of her run at the WTA 1000 event, disclosing that she had to rely on her boyfriend Bryan's assistance just to be able to walk.

"Yeah, two weeks ago looked a little different. I was coming off a back injury that happened in Austin," Danielle Collins said in her post-match press conference. "Then I went to Indian Wells and had multiple days off in a row."

"I had a few days, not exaggerating, I literally, like, couldn't walk. I was having to have my boyfriend help me a lot. It was awful. There were a lot of tears about, oh, my gosh, I have played all these tournaments, I have worked so hard for this, and now we're at Indian Wells and Miami and this is happening, like, why?" she added.

Danielle Collins will battle it out against Maria Sakkari in the Charleston semifinals. If she emerges victorious, she will face Jessica Pegula or Daria Kasatkina in the final.