American Tennis Pro Taunts Crowd, Adds Flair With Backside Slap [WATCH]

American tennis player Danielle Collins stirred controversy during the Australian Open after criticizing the crowd during and after her second-round victory against Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava.

Collins, the tournament’s 10th seed, defeated Aiava in a hard-fought match, winning 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.

However, it was her interactions with the home crowd that drew the most attention.

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Following her win, Collins appeared to respond to the crowd’s boos with gestures, cupping her hand to her ear and blowing kisses.

She then slapped her backside before addressing the crowd in her on-court interview.

Danielle Collins’ reaction to the crowd after reaching Australian Open R3.

She puts her hands to her ears.

Blowing kisses to silence the Aussie crowd.

The crowd immediately starts booing.

This is peak Danielle Collins

pic.twitter.com/3geLLIdkXd

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 16, 2025

“During the match, I was like, while I’m out here I might as well take that big fat pay check,” Collins said, referencing the prize money she had earned by advancing to the third round.

“We love a five-star vacation, so a big part of that will go towards that. So thank you guys, thanks for coming out here and supporting us tonight. Thank you guys, love you.”

The comments were met with mixed reactions, with portions of the crowd continuing to boo.

Collins, who was a finalist at the Australian Open in 2022, doubled down on her remarks during a post-match press conference.

Having already secured £147,000 ($180,000/AU$290,000) in prize money, the 31-year-old addressed the crowd’s hostility.

“Well, I’m going to be here for two hours, putting up with all these people, I might as well take the bigger pay check, right?” she said.

“One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is that the people that don’t like you and that hate you, they actually pay your bills. It’s kind of a cool concept.”

Collins went on to say, “Every person that has bought a ticket and has come out here to heckle me can do what they do. It’s all going towards the Danielle Collins fund. So, like, yeah, bring it on. I love it.”

When asked about how she planned to spend her winnings, Collins shared her preference for luxury travel.

“Me and my girlfriends, we love a five-star holiday, so I can guarantee that next check is going to go towards a five-star trip, hopefully to the Bahamas. We like boats. Big boats. We like yachts. Yeah, we’ll post about it and let you guys know how it goes.”

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’ comments about the crowd and her vacation plans sparked criticism on social media.

One user wrote, “Does Danielle Collins not realize she is playing an Australian in Australia? What does she expect the crowd to do? They’re going to support the home player. Get over it. Zero class from Collins tonight.”

Another added, “Danielle Collins. Through to the next round without a semblance of class.”

Collins’ next challenge will be an all-American third-round match against Madison Keys.

As the tournament progresses, her remarks and the response from the Australian Open crowd will likely remain a topic of discussion.

Whether Collins can turn the controversy into motivation on the court remains to be seen.

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