Danielle Collins is a familiar name to the world of tennis. The American tennis player reached the 2022 Australian Open final, famous for his fiery play and strong personality on the court.
In a recent conversation on the podcast "Reign with Josh Smith", Collins opened up to recount the hidden corners of her professional days. The former tennis player called it a "horror moment".
"It was after a three-set game that I was exhausted and had cramps. A cameraman approached me, saying he felt sorry for me losing and asked if he could hug me. I agreed, but what happened after that was no one expected him to bend down and kiss on my cheek.
People don't see behind-the-scenes like that. They don't listen to the comments that people sometimes say to you. They didn't see strange men appearing at our events, following us all the way to the hotel. And that makes you reach the peak of your anger," Collins.
That is just one of many times Collins has faced unsafety and discrimination in sports. She once fought endometriosis - a health problem that severely affected her performance and fitness. However, the former tennis player shared that these issues were not fairly mentioned in the media or in the professional world.
Not only that, Collins has also become the focus of criticism after his outspoken statement about the world's number 3 tennis player Iga Swiatek. After the quarter-final match of the Paris Olympics, where Collins was forced to give up due to injury, she called Swiatek a "fake", saying that the opponent was not sincere when asking her.
This statement caused Collins to face a wave of heavy criticism from the online community, including many disciplinary and insulting words.
However, it is worth noting that Collins does not avoid it. On the contrary, she turned her attacks into strength: "When someone calls me "a cow", I consider it a compliment. Many women I admire have been given such titles. They are strong, decisive people who dare to pursue their dreams.
I am not afraid to be myself. I don't back down from the bad. And I will always be confident, no matter what others think," the former American tennis player affirmed.
