Danielle Collins is apparently no Australian Open villain

On January 18, 2025By Littum

Danielle Collins grabbed the microphone from the reporter interviewing her at center court and addressed the crowd directly. They saw her as the villain again on Thursday at the 2025 Australian Open and she had decided to fuel their boos – to use them as fuel on the tennis court again.

Collins, the 31-year-old American, already had put his hands over her ears and blew mocking kisses before she even shook hands at the net with Australian Destanee Aiava after their second round match in Melbourne. After advancingCollins served up a parting shot originally intended as a backhand jab that trolled her audience.

“I was thinking during the game I was like, ‘If I’m out here, I might as well take the big, fat paycheck,'” she said, and the jeers got louder. “We love a good, five-star vacation, so part of that check goes toward that. So thank you for that. Thank you for coming out and supporting us.”

“The people who don’t like you and the people who hate you,” Collins later explained her press conference after the match“they actually pay your bills.”

For Collins, however, they represent much more than that. There’s more to this latest heel turn.

A year ago at the Australian Open, Collins announced that she would retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season to focus on starting a family. In October, a few months before she embraced her inner villain so openly, Collins announced on Instagram she would return to the WTA after the discovery of fertility complications related to endometriosisa condition she suffers from that affects the uterus.

Collins further opened up about the decision to delay his retirement last week before the Australian Open startedand notes that the physical and mental challenges have taken a toll in recent months.

“I’ve consistently had days where I cry every day, freak out, and it’s not a fun thing,” she said, and the support system of the women’s tennis tour is helping her through this difficult time in her life.

“I know I said I was retiring, but unfortunately life threw me some curveballs and here I am. I’m just trying to enjoy it a little longer,” Collins added. “My closest friendships are a lot of the women on tour, a lot of people on tour. You think about the lifestyle change when you go through something that’s so challenging emotionally and then not having that support system, yeah, it’s a lot, I’m glad i can stick with this a little longer and have it.

Collins has not committed to how long she will continue to play professionally. She said her medical team is still determining the best course of action in her quest to have children. That uncertainty led her back to court.

“I couldn’t imagine right now putting the racquets down,” Collins said, and nothing about her recent performance suggests otherwise.

Collins played some of the best tennis of her career last year in what appeared to be her final season. She won back-to-back tournaments, most notably the Miami Open, and is currently ranked no. 11 in the world ranking. Her best career finish in a Grand Slam event came when she reached the final of the 2022 Australian Open.

Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic is among the tennis stars who have recently praised Collins for her authenticity and willingness to speak her mind.

Her reaction on Thursday was no different, right up until she placed one of those teasing kisses on her bum to really rile up the fans.

An Australian Open crowd wanted a villain, and Collins would be that again.

For reasons beyond just winning a tennis match.

“I loved it,” Collins said. “I’ve been doing it my whole life. I love playing in a crowd that has energy no matter what side they’re on. I’m somebody too, it just motivates me even more, so it’s kind of a good thing, especially when I don’t play well, I think that helped me in the end, helped me concentrate even more and challenged me at times and pushed me through the finish line.