American player Danielle Collins recently expressed her discontent for not getting enough credit after defeating Iga Świątek in the third round of the Internazionali BNL D’Italia. However, her statements stirred renewed backlash, as numerous fans expressed their disapproval online.
Danielle Collins Faces Backlash for Comments in Light of 3R Win Over Iga Swiatek in Rome
Świątek and Collins locked horns with each other for the ninth time in Rome. Despite her recurring knockout exits, the Pole entered the match as the favorite due to her dominant 7-1 head-to-head record against the American. On top of that, Collins was also on a six-match losing streak against Swiatek before their encounter in Rome.
However, the 31-year-old turned the tide on the Center Court, hitting 32 winners against 15 unforced errors and convincingly defeating the five-time Major champion, 6-1, 7-5. The 23-year-old struggled to find her rhythm, committing 22 unforced errors and falling short in her second consecutive title defense following Madrid.
Świątek showed a noticeable decline compared to her impressive clay-court run last year, and many fans expressed concern afterwards. Collins, however, believed the narrative centered too much on the Pole’s form and not enough on her own performance.
“I thought I played really well against Iga. I didn’t get a ton of credit for it after the match, of course. it was more about how poorly she played and everything. That can make it difficult to celebrate your win sometimes when you feel like you’ve played a good match and it’s just like ugh whatever. I was happy about it, but it wasn’t as fun as I imagined,” Collins recently told the Tennis Channel.
The Americans’ claims weren’t received well by fans, and one of them explained that the former World No.1’s unexpected poor form played a major role in drawing people’s focus.
“Maybe because she did play poorly… when you consider that the H2H is as lopsided as it is, people’s focus is prob going to be on what Iga did wrong rather than what Collin’s did well. The fact it wasn’t a complete shocker considering Iga’s recent form prob also played a role🤷♂️,” a fan wrote.
Another fan criticized Collins for her nature, writing:
“Iga Switatek, no matter whether she wins or not, is still a decent person, humble, honest and respectful while Danielle Collins is a really mean person focused only on herself. She win a match or even a tournament or two but much more difficult is to change her nasty character.”
“Maybe people would be fairer and friendlier with her if she wasn’t so rude and vulgar all the time? Just a thought 🤷🏻♂️,” a fan chimed in.
A user criticized Collins sharply, accusing her of seeking attention by publicly insulting and belittling Iga Świątek
“A woman who publicly humiliates and insults Iga and openly displays her antipathy … wants more attention? Act like an adult and you might get the respect … Of course, the victory is diminished because Iga played very badly!” they said.
“Karen of all Karens,” one commented.
“because Iga’s a young legend so the response was normal. you won! just celebrate and move on,” another weighed in.
Collins hasn’t had the best of relations with Świątek, with some moments marked by controversy.
Notable Tense Moments Involving Iga Świątek and Danielle Collins
One of the notable controversial incidents between Collins and Świątek occurred at the 2024 Paris Olympics quarterfinals. An abdominal injury forced Collins to retire, bringing the match to an early end. Moreover, in the third set, a backhand shot from the American also hit Świątek on her chest, and left her in pain.
During the post-match handshake, the Pole was left befuddled after receiving an earful from the 31-year-old. Collins later reflected on the incident after the match, revealing that she approached Świątek, thinking she was “insincere” about her chest pain. The 23-year-old, for her part, said she was unsure why Collins treated her in such a manner.
The second instance took place at the 2025 United Cup final, where Collins and Świątek represented Team USA and Team Poland, respectively. All players shook hands before the match, but Collins gave little acknowledgment to the former World No. 1 and later used a photo of that moment as her Instagram profile picture. Meanwhile, Świątek preferred not to speak on the matter.
The American is currently competing at the Internationaux de Strasbourg and will face Emma Raducanu in the fourth round. Świątek chose to skip the ATP 500 event and will next compete at the 2025 French Open as a defending champion.