Danielle Collins says the best thing about being a professional athlete is that people who harass her pay her bills, and she said the abuse helped her win her second-round match at the Australian Open.
The 31-year-old was seen sending kisses to fans at Melbourne Park and placing her hand on her ear after defeating Australian Destani Aiafa 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 in the women's singles competition.
Collins She postponed her retirement from tennis due to “fertility issues” caused by endometriosis At the end of last season, he was ranked tenth in the tournament.
“One of the great things about being a professional athlete is that the people who don't like you and the people who hate you, they actually pay your bills,” Collins said.
“It's a great concept. Obviously my career isn't going to last forever. So I remind myself every day that when I have this kind of thing, they pay my bills.”
“Every single person who bought a ticket to come here and harass me or do what he does, it all goes into the Daniel Collins Fund.
Collins blew kisses to the partisan crowd after defeating Aiafa, saying the heckling helped her win the match
“My group of girlfriends and I love a five-star vacation. I can guarantee you that the check will go toward our next five-star trip, hopefully to the Bahamas.
“We love big boats, we love yachts. We'll post about them, let you guys know how it goes.”
Collins: The crowd motivates me more
After beating Ayava, the last remaining Australian in the draw, in two hours and 25 minutes, Collins addressed the crowd: “How about that?”
In the ensuing press conference she spoke of gaining motivation from the partisan crowd at Kia Arena who were strongly supporting Aiafa throughout the match.
“I loved it. I've been doing this my whole life,” Collins added.
“I love playing to a crowd that has energy, no matter which side they're on.
He added, “This motivates me more. So it's a good thing, especially when I'm not playing well.”
Danielle Collins reacts after beating home favorite Destani Aiava in their second-round match at the Australian Open
“So I think that really helped me in the end, helped me focus more, challenged me at times and pushed me to the finish line.
“I was really happy, too, when it finally gained momentum. I said, 'Well, if I'm going to be here for two-and-a-half hours, putting up with all these people, I might as well just take the bigger paycheck, right?' I was really happy to do that.”
Collins was forced to take a medical timeout when she was scheduled to serve her opponent in the set at 5-2, and she ignored suggestions that she would force Aiafa out.
“Of course they'll say that,” said Collins, who took her medication during the time-out. “It was clear that I was having difficulty getting my feet on my serve.”
Collins shook Ayava's hand after her 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 win in Melbourne
“I missed a lot of serves. I had to make up for it a little bit because every time I put my foot down, I was doing this weird thing with my back leg.
“I wasted a lot of serves because of that, honestly. I was also having a hard time getting out of corner kicks.
“It got to the point where I needed to get some help and get some anti-inflammatories. It flared up during Adelaide.
“I haven't had any pain since then, and suddenly, I think because of all the hits, I needed some help with it. It was getting progressively worse.”
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