Danielle Collins Breaks Silence at French Open on “Really Pathetic” Reality Faced by Women on Tour

The Dubai Open witnessed an incident involving the ejection of a disruptive spectator from Ms. Emma Raducanu’s match; this spectator’s behavior caused considerable distress to the player and widespread concern, ultimately resulting in WTA intervention. Fast forward to the recently concluded Strasbourg Open, Danielle Collins found herself in a similar unsettling situation, not from a fan, but from a cameraman intruding on her personal space during a match. She even voiced her discomfort publicly, igniting an urgent conversation around boundaries for women on tour. Now, into the 2nd round at Roland-Garros, Collins breaks her silence, calling out the uncomfortable truth about respect, or the lack thereof, faced by female athletes. Her thoughts?

Just a week before her Roland Garros campaign, the American ace Danielle Collins secured another gritty 3-set victory at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, defeating Emma Raducanu 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. But it wasn’t just her comeback that made headlines, it was her firm stand during a changeover. As both players attempted to rehydrate, Collins approached the umpire’s chair to fill her water bottle, only to find a cameraman uncomfortably close to her.

“We’re on a changeover,” Collins firmly addressed the cameraman on the court. “You don’t need to be that close to me and you don’t need to be on top of Emma. It’s wildly inappropriate.” The moment underscored a broader issue many female athletes face, having to defend their personal space and dignity, even in the heat of WTA competition. Now advancing at Roland Garros, Collins is not just winning matches; she’s also spotlighting the reality women endure on tour, championing boundaries and respect where they’re often overlooked.

During the press conference following her match in France, Danielle Collins addressed the incident that occurred in Strasbourg, where she stood up for herself and Emma Raducanu during a changeover. “I think what happened in Strasbourg is just me asking for personal space at my workplace, and I don’t know you know why that is even a topic of discussion. I mean it should be something that we can get to have during like our work, and the fact that I’ve had to ask so many different times, like in my career and during different matches, to just have an adequate level of personal space, I think is kind of strange,” she said.

Collins didn’t hold back when addressing the scrutiny she often faces for voicing her concerns as well. “And you know I think often times it seems like my response is treated like the offense itself, you know, and I’m learning that as a female, asking for personal space seems to be an issue for a lot of people. I think I think it’s really pathetic, honestly, that it’s even a topic of discussion,” she said.

She also highlighted the context of the footage from Strasbourg, shedding light on what spectators may have missed. “You know, in the video, there’s so much that people don’t see. They don’t see the person go and stand right on top of Emma to get a good shot of me in about a two to three-foot space. That’s just I’m doing a performance job. I’m trying to focus on my work,” Collins explained.

Maintaining her concentration in such situations is a challenge, the American noted, “I’m trying to maintain my focus um and concentration and it’s my job requires channeling physical emotional and then logical right things going on and it’s my job to try to put that all together and the last thing that I should be focusing on is someone that’s right on right on top of my opponent and you know right in my face,” 

And now progressing further into the tournament on French clay, Collins continues to channel her energy into her game while also ensuring her voice remains a powerful advocate for respectful boundaries in professional sports.

Collins shares her thoughts on her win against British Jodie Burrage

British 7th seed Jodie Burrage put up a valiant effort in her Roland Garros debut, but ultimately fell short against the former world No. 7 Danielle Collins. Burrage showcased her resilience by battling back from 5-3 down to serve for the opening set. However, the experienced Collins held her nerve, forcing a tie break that she dominated 7-1 to take the lead.

In the 2nd set, Collins found her rhythm early, breaking twice to go ahead. Yet Burrage refused to back down, retrieving one of the breaks and narrowing the gap to even 5-4. Despite the pressure, Collins remained composed and served out the match, sealing a hard-fought 7-6(1), 6-4 victory. And after the match, the American shared her thoughts on how tough the match was.

At the press conference, Collins reflected on the tough match. “I think I was challenged a lot and my opponent today was coming up with some really good shots and I did a good job kind of sticking it out and just trying to do my best and weather the storm when she was hitting winners and hitting a lot of big serves. So yeah, I think just trying to ride out the wave,” she said.

Up next for the American ace is Serbian Olga Danilović, a talented 24-year-old with a solid clay-court game. With Collins riding a strong clay season and building momentum from her Rome victory over Iga Swiatek, she heads into this 2nd-round clash as the favorite, but it promises to be no easy contest.

What’s your result for the match? Share your thoughts below!