Australian tennis pro Danielle Collins has advanced to the third round of the Grand Slam tournament but was met with a harsh reaction from the Australian crowd. She defeated Destanee Aiava on Tuesday in a nearly 2 1/2 hour match, blowing kisses to the fans and seeming to egg them on after match point.
When asked about the crowd’s boos for most of the match, Collins showed no remorse and even seemed to take pleasure from it.
“It was a tough crowd, and I just figured if I’m going to be out here, I might as well take home that bigger paycheck,” Collins said in an on-court interview. “Thanks for the paycheck, Australia. It’s pretty amazing feeling as an athlete. The people who dislike you or hate you, they pay your bills. And that’s really rewarding feeling.”
In a post-game press conference, Collins doubled down on her reaction, stating that even negative energy motivates her, and that everyone who buys tickets to watch and heckle her is contributing to her “Daniel Collins’ fund.”
“You know, when I have negative stuff, like this, in my mind I just remind myself that they are paying my bills,” Collins quipped. She even joked that she likes taking “five-star vacations” and that her Australian Open earnings would go towards a trip with friends.