Love her or hate her, you can’t ignore her—and that’s the kind of energy Danielle Collins is bringing to Melbourne this year! Danimal is stealing the spotlight at the Australian Open—but not always for her tennis. Whether it’s her fiery on-court exchanges or her bold clapbacks to critics, Collins has proven she’s as unapologetically fierce off the court as she is on it. But guess what? Collins isn’t the only one talking. Her compatriot Jessica Pegula has now weighed in on the buzz surrounding her fellow American star. And, surprise! She’s echoing what Coco Gauff had to say about Collins: “Danielle is going to be Danielle.”

Pegula engaged in a remarkable encounter with Serbia’s Olga Danilović in the third round on Friday. However, the American sensation left the tennis community shocked after a baffling defeat in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1. Soon after her match, she engaged in an interaction with the press and deliberated on a wide range of topics including her match. But there was yet another aspect to the interview and it was about Collins. When asked about all the drama that has unfolded revolving around the American star, Pegula dished out her honest opinion. 

Speaking in the interview, she said, “I guess Coco (Gauff) said it best, Danielle’s going to be Danielle. I think that’s the perfect way to put it.” For the unversed, Gauff expressed her admiration for Collins’ trait after her second match win over Jodie Anna Burrage. “Danielle is going to be Danielle, and there is no one changing her, and she doesn’t care either. That’s something I can respect, someone who knows who they are. Just being authentically herself. If you know Danielle Collins, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Gauff had said earlier. Now, Pegula has joined the conversation with a similar opinion. 

Continuing further, the American tennis sensation added, “I appreciate that she’s honest and she is who she is and I think it’s honestly great for the sport.” Pegula shared that tennis can become “stuffy” at times and hence, to have a mentality like Collins, irrespective of the nature of the crowd is definitely not an easy task. “Not everybody can do that, not everybody likes to do that, not everyone’s good at it but I mean if you are and you’re out there and you’re trying to win and that’s what helps you win like you’re going to do that.” And while she acknowledged that her own personality is different from Collins’s, she does not disrespect her traits. 

“Obviously, my personality is much different but uh I can respect and appreciate that she doesn’t really care,” Pegula added. Remember, Collins has been getting a lot of media attention lately, and even more so after her latest match against Destanee Aiava, whom she beat in three sets. 

Collins exchanged in a fierce banter with the crowd doing the match, that converted into heated exchanges at times. She was seen blowing kisses in the direction of the roaring crowd, upon being booed by them after her victory. Besides, when Collins was answering a question during the on-court interview, the boos seemingly interrupted her flow, and Collins ensured to avenge. In a cheeky jibe, she said, “I was thinking during the match, I’m out of here, I might as well just take that big, fat paycheck. So thank you, guys, thanks for coming out here and supporting us tonight!” Notably, it is not just her compatriots and friends who are supporting her statements. A similar praise has also come her way from none other than Novak Djokovic. 

“Loved her response” – Novak Djokovic goes in all-out praise for Danielle Collins

Danielle Collins did not just take sharp digs at the crowd with her gestures and her words on the court but also reiterated her stance during the post-match interview. While it received mixed reviews from the tennis community with many believing that the entire controversy could have been avoided, Collins is getting some huge support from fellow players. And one such voice is coming from Serbian Maestro Novak Djokovic. 

Speaking in an interview at the Australian Open, Nole said, “I loved her response. I loved it. Everything she said on the court off the court big fan of Danielle Collins after that. I was before, but now a big fan.” Continuing further, he shared that he could relate to the kind of situation that she witnessed and hence extended his complete support. “I heard some comments from people that she, you know she shouldn’t have said that or that I think she handled it really well I don’t think I would be that polite um, and uh but and I know exactly the feeling so I think she was funny, smart. Big fan of what she did. Big fan(laughs).”

Now, as the remainder of the Australian Open unfolds, it would be interesting to see if more such exchanges take place, or if there will be some calmness maintained.