’Really don’t care’: Danielle Collins riles up Australian Open crowd

An American star may have just permanently lost the crowd at Melbourne Park after a series of provocative gestures.

Danielle Collins is happy to keep playing the villain role if crowds refuse to come back to her side following her provocative acts during a second-round win over Destanee Aiava.

The American star was showered with boos from a parochial home crowd as she cupped a hand to her ear before kissing her hand and slapping her backside after claiming a 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2 victory over the plucky Australian qualifier on Thursday night.

Collins told fans ‘thanks for the pay cheque” in a swiftly aborted courtside interview before she doubled down on her comments in her post-match press conference.

The heated finish came after she had told a yelling fan to “shut up” after missing a first serve in the second set, before she later called for a medical timeout at 5-2 down in a move which clearly disrupted Aiava’s momentum.

Danielle Collins winds up the crowd after claiming a three-set victory over Australian Destanee Aiava in the second round at Melbourne Park. Picture: William West / AFP

Collins had treatment on her right big toe, which she said had been affecting her faltering serve, before she returned to win eight of the next 11 games and power into the third round.

The world No. 11 said she had no problem losing the support of the crowd as she prepared for a bout with fellow American Madison Keys on Saturday.

“Good luck trying to get under the skin of somebody who really doesn’t care,” Collins said.

“I loved it (fighting the crowd) ... I’m going to be out here for two and a half hours and putting up with all these people – I might as well just take the bigger paycheck, right?

“One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is the people that don’t like you and the people that hate you – they actually pay your bills.

“Every person that’s bought a ticket to come out here and heckle me, or do what they do ... it’s all going towards the ‘Danielle Collins Fund’. So bring it on, I love it.”

Collins says she’ll happily continue playing the villain as she prepares for a third-round bout with fellow American Madison Keys. Picture: William West / AFP

Aiava produced an assured performance in her first ever visit to the second round of a grand slam, only giving away 25 unforced errors to Collins’ 39.

The 24-year-old said the Kia Arena crowd had been “really fun” to experience as she departed the tournament with a performance above her own expectations against the 2022 runner-up.

“It kind of sounded like a rugby league match ... it was very different, and I think we could use a little bit more of that in tennis,” Aiava said.

“I just tried to use it to my advantage, and they were amazing.”

Through qualifying and in her first-round match, Aiava had paid tribute to historical outfits worn by stars of the game, but had not planned to make it as far as Thursday’s clash.

“I was lucky ... one of the girls I used to play tennis with reached out ... I actually ran out of outfits, so she saved my life tonight,” Aiava said after wearing the same dress Maria Sharapova donned at the 2011 French Open.

Destanee Aiava continues her grand slam fashion flashbacks in her second round clash, paying tribute to a 2011 outfit Maria Sharapova wore at the French Open. Picture: Michael Klein

Sharapova in the ‘Eiffel Tower-inspired’ outfit. Picture: AFP

Aiava said the nine-minute medical time-out taken by Collins had not overly affected her, as the American was adamant she had needed the intervention.

“(The toe problem) flared up during Adelaide – I hadn’t had any pain with it since ... it just was progressively getting worse, and I just really needed it.”

Before the time-out, Aiava had looked Collins’ equal, and given her form line in qualifying, it perhaps should not have been surprising.

Aiava had knocked out Eva Lys in the second round of qualifying, before Lys proceeded to gain entry into the main draw as a lucky loser.

With little more than 10 minutes’ notice, she went on court to beat top ranked Australian Kimberly Birrell, and on Thursday dispatched France’s world No. 69 Varvara Gracheva to set up a third-round clash with another unseeded opponent.

No lucky loser has ever made it into the fourth round of the women’s singles at Melbourne Park, but Lys could be the first if she beats Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian on Saturday.

Originally published as ’Really don’t care’: Danielle Collins riles up Australian Open crowd