Danielle Collins may have exited Wimbledon at the hands of Iga Swiatek, but the American star isn’t backing down from the rivalry. In the third round, Collins’ spirited run came to a halt at the All England Club after Swiatek defeated her 6-2, 6-3.
One week later, Collins spoke about her encounter with Swiatek and Wimbledon, praising the eventual champion’s prowess on the grass. She appeared on the Reigh with Josh Smith podcast this week, reflecting on her matchup with the Pole, saying she prefers clay over grasscourts when facing Swiatek.
“Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, two different surfaces too. So that plays a big factor,” Collins said (6:10). “I feel like I match up against Iga a little bit better on the clay because I prefer clay courts. That’s my favorite surface.”
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“Iga's obviously been improving on the grass and she had some good results before Wimbledon... was hitting the ball really well, moving incredibly well,” Collins added. “She definitely has her feet on the ground on the grass. And so she matched up better against me on the grass.”
Danielle Collins warned Iga Swiatek about what's to come, especially with the North American hardcourt swing approaching fast.
“So we’ll see what happens in the hardcourt season, right?” she concluded.
With tournaments like the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Masters, and the U.S. Open on the horizon, tennis fans will soon witness the rivalry take center stage.
Iga Swiatek vs. Danielle Collins rivalry has been heating up since the Paris Olympics
The rivalry between Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins heated up during a dramatic quarterfinal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Collins retired trailing 4-1 in the third set and later accused Swiatek of being "insincere" during their post-match handshake.
"I told Iga she didn't have to be insincere about my injury," Collins said after the match. "There's a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma and come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room. They can be the way that they are, I can accept that, and I don't need the fakeness."
The friction carried into 2025. During the United Cup final, their handshake was notably cold. Collins made it known through her social media activity that there's bad blood between them.
Regarding the head-to-head record, Iga Swiatek has an 8-2 advantage over Danielle Collins. After Collins defeated Swiatek in Rome at the 2025 Italian Open this tennis season, the Pole exacted revenge at Wimbledon. Their next showdown on hardcourts will add more to their rivalry.
