American tennis player Danielle Collins He won’t be making any new friends in Australia this week and that’s fine with him.
Collins, finalist in 2022 australian open, She advanced to the third round of this year’s Grand Slam after defeating Australian Destanee Aiava on Tuesday, but her victory was met with a harsh reaction from the home crowd.
Danielle Collins reacts after defeating Destanee Aiava at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Thursday, January 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
After dealing with boos from the crowd for most of the match, Collins blew kisses to the fans and cheered them on as soon as he won match point.
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“It was a tough crowd and I thought if I was going to be here, I might as well take home that bigger paycheck,” Collins said after the game in an on-court interview. “So yeah, thanks for the paycheck from Australia.”
“It’s a pretty amazing feeling as an athlete because people who don’t like you or hate you pay your bills,” he continued. “So it’s a really rewarding feeling to be here, and it feels like a great day.”
Danielle Collins blows kisses after defeating Destanee Aiava at the Australian Open in Melbourne, January 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Collins defeated Aiava 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2 in a match that lasted almost two and a half hours.
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During her postgame press conference with the media, Collins doubled down on her reaction to the crowd, adding that the fans’ “energy” motivates her, regardless of who they’re rooting for.
“One of the best things about being a professional athlete is that the people who don’t like you and the people who hate you actually pay your bills. It’s a cool concept… I remind myself of that every day when I have that . kind of thing, they’re paying my bills. Every person who’s bought a ticket to come here and interrupt me or do what they do, it’s all going to Danielle Collins’ fund.”
Danielle Collins warmed up the crowd at the Australian Open, Thursday, January 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Collins joked that he likes to take “five-star vacations” with his friends and that his earnings from the Australian Open He will go on his next trip.
“We like boats, we like big boats. We like yachts. We’ll post about it and tell you how it goes.”
