Danielle Collins Embraces Hostile Crowd at Australian Open, Turns Booing into Motivation

Danielle Collins has always had a knack for handling pressure, and at the Australian Open on Thursday, she used the hostility of the crowd to fuel her victory over home favorite Destanee Aiava. In a match filled with boos and jeers from the raucous crowd, Collins remained unfazed, even relishing the intense atmosphere as she secured a 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 win.

The American tennis star’s performance was not only impressive on the court but also in how she handled the hostile crowd. As the boos rang out, Collins responded with playful taunts, cupping her ear and blowing kisses towards the crowd after sealing her victory. She continued to engage with the fans, blowing kisses in all directions and even slapping her own buttocks in a show of defiance.

Despite the less-than-friendly reception, Collins embraced the energy of the crowd, finding motivation in the challenge. “I’ve been doing this my whole life, and I love playing in a crowd that has energy, regardless of what side they’re on,” Collins said after the match. “It just motivates me even more, especially when I’m not playing that well. I think it really helped me in the end and just helped me concentrate more.”

In fact, Collins seemed to enjoy the challenge of playing in front of a hostile crowd. “It pushed me through the finish line,” she explained. “I was really happy when I finally got momentum. If I’m going to be out here for two and a half hours, putting up with all these people, I might as well just take the bigger paycheck. I was super happy to do that.”

The 31-year-old player also joked about the influence the crowd had on the match. “There were a lot of people that were super drunk,” Collins added, acknowledging how the lively atmosphere contributed to the intensity of the event.

Even after the match, Collins continued to engage with the crowd, who had booed her throughout the match and during her post-match interview. She joked with the fans, saying, “I was thinking during the match, ‘Well, if I’m out here, I might as well just take that big fat paycheck.’ We love a five-star vacation, so part of that check is going towards that.” The crowd’s boos only seemed to fuel her confidence as she added, “Thanks for coming out and supporting us tonight.”

With her third-round win, Collins is set to earn 290,000 Australian dollars (roughly $180,000). She lightheartedly referred to the prize money as going towards her “Danielle Collins fund” and remarked, “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.”

Collins’ ability to brush off the boos and turn them into a positive force was something that impressed her fellow players as well. Novak Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, praised Collins’ response to the crowd’s behavior. He said he was a “big fan” of how she handled the situation, adding, “Everything she said on the court, off the court. Big fan of Danielle Collins after that. I was before. But now? Big fan. I love it.”

Djokovic also shared that he understood how Collins felt, especially after his own experience with a particularly loud fan during his third-round win over Tomáš Macháč. “I don’t think I would be that polite, and I know exactly the feeling,” Djokovic admitted. “So I think she was funny, smart. Just a big fan of what she did.”

As Collins moves on to face her fellow American Madison Keys in the third round, the energy from the crowd may be just the thing she needs to keep pushing forward. Collins has always been known for her fighting spirit, and her ability to thrive under pressure makes her a formidable opponent on the court.

In other news from the Australian Open, Naomi Osaka was forced to retire from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic. Osaka had been leading 5-2 in the first set before an apparent abdominal injury caused her to struggle, eventually allowing Bencic to take the set in a tie-break. Despite receiving treatment, Osaka was unable to continue and withdrew from the match, marking another setback in her recovery from injury.

For Collins, however, the Australian Open crowd’s reactions have only strengthened her resolve. Whether they cheer her or boo her, she knows that the bigger paycheck and the thrill of the competition are all part of the journey. And with her fearless attitude, there's no telling what she'll achieve next.