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Danielle Collins turned up the drama at the Australian Open, leaving fans shocked and divided with her cheeky antics during a fiery second-round clash against Aussie hopeful Destanee Aiava. Booed relentlessly by the home crowd, the feisty American didn’t just brush it off—she doubled down, firing back with over-the-top kisses, a sassy clap of her backside, and a masterclass in unapologetic “I don’t give a damn” attitude. With every ironic gesture and biting remark, Collins made it crystal clear: if you’re coming for her, expect her to hit back twice as hard.
The tenth-seeded Collins battled through boos and jeers from the Kia Arena crowd to secure a 7-6(4) 4-6 6-2 victory over qualifier Aiava, advancing to the third round. But it wasn’t just her tennis that made headlines—Collins’ bold response to the crowd’s hostility became the talk of the tournament.
Little bit of prime “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan about Danielle Collins post match!#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/nyusDgt3PP
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2025
As the match concluded, the 31-year-old American cupped her hand to her ear, encouraging more noise from the unimpressed crowd, and sealed her victory with ironic kisses to the audience. The reaction? A chorus of boos, which only fueled Collins’ fiery personality. Very irritated, she fired back with her signature sass: “During the match I was like, while I’m out here I might as well take that big fat paycheck.”
Collins later revealed that she thrives in high-energy atmospheres, even when the crowd is against her, admitting that their negativity actually pushed her to perform better. “One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is that the people that don’t like you and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills. It’s kind of a cool concept,” she said confidently. Taking the humor up a notch, she cheekily dubbed the hecklers’ financial contributions as “the Danielle Collins fund,” pointing out that every ticket sold to watch her play financially benefits her.
Danielle Collins says the best thing about being a professional athlete is that the people that hate her pay her bills:
“Every person that bought a ticket to come heckle me, it’s all going towards the Danielle Collins Fund. Bring it on.” 😂
pic.twitter.com/3bICBAYSLb
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 16, 2025
Collins, who will face fellow American Madison Keys in the next round, readily shared how she plans to splash her AU$290,000 prize money. In true unapologetic fashion, she declared her love for the finer things in life, already earmarking the earnings for a lavish getaway. “Me and my group of girlfriends, we love a five-star vacation,” she told the media after the match. “I can guarantee you that cheque is going to go towards our next five-star trip – hopefully to the Bahamas. We like boats, we like big boats, we like yachts, so we’ll post about it and let you guys know how it goes.”
Her unapologetic attitude was on full display once again. When asked if the prospect of being labeled a villain bothered her, Collins laughed and quipped, “Good luck pissing somebody off or getting under the skin of somebody who literally doesn’t give a **** (can I say it?).”
Collins made a return to tennis at the start of 2025, defying her earlier announcement to retire at the end of the 2024 season. Despite ongoing challenges with endometriosis, which she has described as a significant hurdle, she remains committed to both her career and her personal goals. Earlier in the year, she shared that starting a family is one of her biggest dreams outside of tennis.
