Danielle Collins knows just how to turn her critics’ gripes into a lesson in resilience. Frequently labeled as ‘cocky’ and ‘arrogant’ by critics, Collins has now delivered a powerful response to silence her detractors. Recently, she took a bold stand for herself with a statement filled with confidence, addressing the accusations head-on at the US Open.

Anyone who has watched Collins play knows that she oozes confidence in every point, despite the outcome of the match. After a rocky career filled with criticisms, she managed to fill her final year with accolades and continues to fight for another one. It doesn’t take anything less than a stubborn and confident mind to know the results will come, and Collins embodies it. The American tennis star appeared on the Advantages Connors podcast and emphasized the value of keeping her confidence up in public, even in the face of critics, before starting off her US Open run.

Collins stated, “Yeah, I mean, I think for people in the outside world, people can mislabel confidence as being cocky or arrogant. But really, like, what are you doing? Like if you don’t have confidence, and that’s like, not just in tennis, that I think applies to anything, you need to have confidence and self-belief, or you’re not going to live a very happy life.“

Further, she added, “You know, it sounds kind of depressing if, you know, you have to be in a headspace where you’re like, oh, like, ‘Should I do this, or should I behave this way?’ Because this might come off as, you know, I don’t like to do that dance.”

Collins talked about her feelings in an interview with Tennis Channel earlier this year following her victory against Elise Mertens in the Charleston Open quarterfinals. She stated that she doesn’t worry about the differences between her on and off-court identities, pointing out that her detractors are usually the ones that stir up trouble.

Collins said, “I think we still live in a world where there’s a lot of stereotypes, and that’s not really like a political statement; that’s just the way it is. For women, there’s an expectation to behave in a certain way. So sometimes, having a big personality and being as competitive and fiery as I am can rub people the wrong way.” Earlier this year, the Miami Open champion made a bold statement, affirming her resilience against criticism.

Danielle Collins never shies away from embracing her haters’ thoughts 

Collins achieved a noteworthy career high when she advanced to the Australian Open semifinals in 2019. She was met with obstacles and criticism, but she openly accepted her on-court image. Collins openly admits to her confrontational nature, stating, “I’m my own person. I’m feisty. I love making it kind of a war. If somebody wants to get in my face about my unforced errors, I have no problem getting right back at them and making it a feisty match.”

She also disclosed that she finds empowerment in remaining loyal to herself in the face of criticism and that facing her detractors head-on fortifies her determination.

Subsequently, at the end, it won’t be wrong to say that, whether fans are cheering her on or questioning her “Danimal” personality on the court, Collins has proven the confidence in the kind of side she wants to portray for herself.