Danielle Collins rejected a bouquet of flowers after playing the last US Open match of her career because she didn’t want to feel like ‘Gaylord’ – a fictional character played by Ben Stiller in the 2000 movie Meet the Parents.
Collins brutally lost in the first round of her final Grand Slam tournament before her retirement, suffering a shock defeat to fellow American star Caroline Dolehide.
She left the court in a hurry as tournament director Stacey Allaster awkwardly tried to present her with a huge bouquet of flowers to celebrate her career.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, after world No.49 Dolehide won 1-6 7-5 6-4, 11th-seed Collins explained why she rejected the pre-planned send-off.
‘I’m not somebody that likes to celebrate my accomplishments,’ Collins, 30, said after her surprise early exit at Flushing Meadows.
‘I’ve struggled with feeling guilt around success. I’m not great about having an all about …