Danielle Collins’ return to Roland Garros came with high hopes. The American had just made the semifinals in Strasbourg and was playing some sharp tennis. She opened her French Open campaign with a solid win over Jodie Burrage in straight sets, setting up a familiar second-round clash. In a repeat of last year, the 31-year-old Olga Danilovic is again in the second round. And just like their meeting at the same stage last year, Danilovic came out on top in three sets. But while the match itself had plenty of action, it was the handshake, or rather, the lack of one, that grabbed all the attention.

Speaking of controversy, Collins has never been one to blend into the background. Nicknamed “Danimal,” she’s built a reputation for being loud and fiery. At the WTA 500 in Strasbourg, she even had a tense moment with a cameraman during her match against Emma Raducanu.

Collins got up during the changeover in the deciding set and snapped at the cameraman. “I need to get water. We’re on a changeover. You don’t need to be that close to me, and you don’t need to be on top of Emma,” she said. “It’s, like, wildly inappropriate. It’s not that difficult to give space. I’m sorry.” The clip blew up online, with reactions pouring in from both supporters and critics.

Now, she has caught the fury of fans for her frosty handshake with Danilovic after their match. What did they say?

Fans accuse Danielle Collins of unsportsmanlike behaviour

Fans didn’t hold back on social media after the icy exchange. One fan on X wrote, “What a joke of a handshake from Collin’s, can’t she once act like a grown up. W Olga idemoooo.”

This isn’t the first time Danielle Collins has caught flak for her post-match etiquette. Her tension with Iga Swiatek is well-known among tennis followers. During the United Cup final in Sydney, the 31-year-old rolled her eyes while shaking Swiatek’s hand. She later turned the screenshot into her Instagram Story, captioned, “Didn’t know if you guys noticed this but… New year, same me.” It even became her profile picture. Their history runs deeper than that. Last year, Collins got upset when Swiatek raised her hand to delay a serve. Collins shouted, “Play at the server’s pace,” and later accidentally hit the Polish star with a ball. The feud escalated when Collins accused Swiatek of being “insincere” and showing “fakeness.”

And her latest handshake has drawn flak, too. One fan commented, “well good riddance to that nasty piece of work Danielle Collins – such a typical yank. Well done Olga Danilovic for ignoring all the gamesmanship – that non handshake at the end tells you all you need to know about Collins.”

Adding fuel to the fire, another fan posted, “Tennis Karen always losing these days.” For context, “Karen” is slang for a privileged woman known for throwing tantrums when things don’t go her way.

Collins also stirred things up earlier this year at the Australian Open. She had a back-and-forth with the local crowd during her match against Destanee Aiava. Instead of cooling things down, she went full steam ahead. Collins danced around the court, cupped her ear, blew exaggerated kisses, and even slapped her bottom in celebration. In her post-match comments, she didn’t hold back and said, “Every person that’s bought a ticket to come out here and heckle me, it’s all going towards the Danielle Collins Fund. Bring it on. I love it.”

That fiery energy may win matches, but it keeps adding to her off-court drama. Another fan wrote, “Collins world class in talking sh-t and stupid things but not world class in playing tennis 🤣.”

The former world No. 7 had originally planned to retire in 2024 but delayed that plan. The American tennis star wanted to retire and start a family but has been facing fertility issues related to endometriosis, a condition she has been dealing with since 2021. In light of that, she’s decided to keep playing in 2025 while continuing to get medical support.

Since deciding to extend her tennis career, Collins has found herself under scrutiny for her on-court behavior. One fan summed it up and wrote, “Collins continues her constantly unprofessional manner: vulgar middle-finger equivalent at spectators who supported her opponent when she wins (see AO this year); and, feeble handshake and no comment to opponent when she loses as she did today against a feisty Danilovic.”

Still, Collins believes the criticism is unfair. She spoke on this last year at Wimbledon, saying, “I’m someone that’s not afraid to be myself. I think as women we should really embrace that and support each other,” she said. “We get framed as emotional and frustrated and this and that, and I just say, ‘Eff it. I’m going for it’ … and I am always going to bring the passion.”

Danielle Collins may not change anytime soon, and neither will the strong reactions she brings out in people. Is this just passion, or has it crossed the line? What do you think?