Danielle Collins overcame Emma Raducanu in the Round of 16 at the Strasbourg Open, securing her place in the quarterfinals. After the match, she shared her belief systems, which aid her in performing at her best on the court.
The match spanned two hours and 20 minutes. The Brit won the first set 6-4, but the American responded strongly, taking the next two sets 6-1, 6-3. Collins struck eight aces in the final two sets, which allowed her to dominate her serving games.
The 31-year-old is often criticised for her loud celebrations and aggressive behaviour on the court. An incident took place during the match, where Collins called out the cameraman for being too close to her between the changeovers.
Trending
In the on-court interview, Collins reflected on how she leverages her competitiveness to her advantage and remains true to herself without being distracted by external noise.
“Yeah, I think to be good at anything, self-expression is really important. There aren’t too many successful people in the world that feel like they can’t be themselves, and I think you have to be yourself and I’m a competitor at the end of the day, I’m not meek and mild, I’m not someone who is yeah. Just kind of going through life quietly, and I want to succeed, and I know what it takes to succeed,” Collins stated.
“This is what competing is about. It’s about bringing the energy, showing positive emotions, sometimes showing negative emotions and being upset with yourself and then try working those moments. You think it can be hard in the world we live in today, because of the noise, because of things people say and the things people do and criticism and this and that. But at the end of the day, if you go out, you try to be yourself and try to compete hard and do the best you can and good things will happen,” she added.
Collins reached the finals of this ATP 500 event last year as well, but was unable to cross the finish line. She was defeated by her compatriot, Madison Keys, in straight sets. The former World No. 7 will either face top-seeded Jessica Pegula or Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals on Thursday (May 22).
Danielle Collins called out the cameraman for 'wildly inappropriate' behaviour with her and Emma Raducanu
During the changeovers, Danielle Collins went to fill her water bottle, and she had to tell the cameraman to move aside. She warned him that it was inappropriate to stay in such close proximity and not allow players to have their space.
“I need to get water. We’re on a changeover. You don’t need to be that close to me & you don’t need to be on top of Emma. It’s like wildly inappropriate. Not that difficult to give space,” she said [via The Tennis Letter on X].
Collins is known for her bold nature and is unapologetic about it. She embraces boldness and speaks up whenever required. Even at this year’s Australian Open, she was booed by the home crowd in a match against their local player, Destanee Aiava.
The current World No. 46 won the match in three sets. After the match, the American gave back to the crowd by giving a sarcastic message in the on-court interview.
"Thank you guys. Love ya!," Collins said.
She later joked about the incident in the post-match conference as well.
"I was thinking during the match. I was like, 'If I'm out of here, I might as well just take that big fat paycheck. Coco (Coco Vandeweghe) and I love, we love a good 5-star vacation. So part of that check is gonna go towards that. So thank you guys, thanks for coming out here and supporting us tonight," Collins said.
