America’s tennis star
Danielle Collins has responded to
recent criticism from a section of social media users after her reaction during
the
Australian Open. The 31-year-old’s journey in the first Grand Slam of the
year came to an end as she lost to America’s Madison Keys in the third round in
straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4.
As Collins entered the arena to face her fellow American
player, the crowd sitting in the arena expressed their emotions with boos. The
reason was the reaction of the Florida-born after securing her place in the third
round with a win over a local player Destanee Aiava with a score of 7-6, 4-6,
6-2 where she gestured towards the crowd, telling them that she can’t hear their
boos.
After that reaction, Collins received some negative remarks
on the social media platforms as users expressed their anger. The reigning world number 11 spoke to the media after the match against Keys, where she talked about her reaction and how the crowd sitting in the arena reacted to it. Collins was of the opinion that it was up to the Australian crowd to forgive her
and that she was well within her rights to react the way she did after that
match. Collins also stated that she does not care what any individual thinks
about her.
"If the Australian public want to forgive me, I suppose
that's up to them,” she said. “The most important thing is that nobody got
hurt. Maybe some things were taken personally and they shouldn't have been
taken that way by the crowd, but I think people sometimes take life far too
seriously. I heard recently that the average age of tennis spectators is 65. We
need to provide entertainment. I think I can make jokes, make people laugh, and
I don't have an over-inflated ego when it comes to what's written about me. I
don't care what some guy who lives in his basement writes on the internet. I'm
just trying to enjoy my life."