Danielle Collins has recently shared her reaction after Australian Open tournament director and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley suggested changes to the women’s set format. These changes came to light after the thrilling performances at the 2026 Australian Open, and the way the intensity on the women’s side was limited by the best-of-three set format, as per Tiley.
Danielle Collins Comically Reacts to Craig Tiley’s Format Change Suggestions
Expressing her panic and humour, Collins added through her Instagram story, “I feel like I’m about to go into cardiac arrest just thinking about playing three out of five 😬 😭😆.”
Tiley had expressed that the men’s semifinals produced some of the best performances, and so did the women’s final, which featured WTA elites Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka.
The change he suggested was that, from the quarterfinals onwards, the format should switch from best-of-three to best-of-five to produce more iconic matches with greater intensity and physicality from players.
Tiley shared, “You can’t replicate that semi-final day. That was amazing. Probably the biggest and best event ever. And then you can’t replicate that final last night on the women’s side. It was unbelievable. One of the things I’ve been saying now is that I think there should be three out of five sets for women. We should look at the last few matches — the quarters and the semis and the finals — and make the women’s side three out of five.”
However, despite the suggestion, he said further discussion with the players is needed before any changes are made, adding, “Now I don’t know whether the players would want to do it or not, but it is something we need to consider on the women’s side.”
Despite her on-court break, Collins remained connected with the sport as she appeared on Tennis Channel’s ‘The Big T podcast’ with Brad Gilbert and Coco Vandeweghe, offering predictions for the Australian Open and other entertaining elements.
The World No. 67 was not seen in action at the 2026 Australian Open, as she was undergoing egg-freezing treatment and would not return until the first part of the season. Last year, the WTA introduced a rule stating that players who wish to undergo egg or embryo freezing will have their rankings protected.
The Fertility Protection Special Entry Ranking Rule is one of the benefits offered by the WTA, allowing players to start families without compromising their professional careers. Apart from this, WTA also has the Family Focus Program, which includes paid maternity leave, fertility protection measures, and other benefits.
Collins last competed at the 2025 US Open, where she lost to Romanian Jaqueline Cristian in the first round, and also competed in mixed doubles, advancing to the semifinal round. The St. Petersburg, Florida, native had to end her season early due to a back injury.
