Danielle Collins turned a hostile Melbourne crowd into her own theater during a fiery second-round victory at the Australian Open, embracing the whistles and delivering a mischievous performance that left no doubt that she s ‘thrives on being the villain.
Loud crowd, fiery Collins
The 31-year-old American, playing against Australian Destanee Aiava, faced a raucous crowd who were not subtle in their support for the local favorite. Booed and challenged throughout the match, Collins did not back down. Instead, she descended into chaos, telling a fan to “shut up”, blowing kisses to the crowd and even slapping her butt as they insulted her for winning.
In his post-match press conference, Collins brushed off the hostility with characteristic defiance.
“Good luck pissing someone off or getting under the skin of someone who literally doesn’t care about… can I say it? she joked, bursting into laughter as the moderator nervously interjected.
‘This girl loves it’
Collins attributed the lively atmosphere to a passionate Australian crowd and even praised the environment, highlighting the unique energy of competing against a local player.
“Look, Destanee is from here. They really wanted her to win,” Collins said. “There were a lot of people who were super drunk and having trouble controlling themselves. It was rather noisy. But this girl loves it. »
Reactions won’t affect him
Collins, who reached the Australian Open final in 2020, faces American Madison Keys in the third round. With tensions at an all-time high and the potential for further backlash from the public, she remains unfazed. In fact, she considers whistling part of the job—and a profitable job at that.
-“One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is that the people who don’t like you and hate you, they actually pay your bills,” Collins said, noting that his guaranteed price of at minus £147,000 made it easier to ignore the hostility.
“It’s a pretty cool concept. My professional career is not going to last forever, and I remind myself every day when I have this stuff that they pay my bills. »
A force to be reckoned with
Collins’ bold confidence and power on the court have always made her a polarizing figure, but her resilience and ability to perform under pressure remains undeniable. With her sights set on another strong performance in Melbourne, she proved she’s just as comfortable as a hero as she is a villain.
For Collins, it’s all part of the game. And as she says:
“Good luck trying to touch someone who really doesn’t care.” »
