Madrid Open: Marred by Distractions, Danielle Collins Loses 15-Match Win Streak in Drama-Filled Match Against Aryna Sabalenka

You can be on a roll with a 15-match hot winning streak but a bad day at the office can really turn the tables in a jiffy. American Danielle Collins just had such a day in her round of 16 match-up against Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid. Both the players gave their best in what can easily be considered one of the top contenders for match of the year so far.

Right from the start, the crowd was very clear about whom they wanted to win and it was none other than Aryna Sabalenka. While they appreciated great tennis from Danielle Collins, their persistent distractions really threw the American off her game as she ended up having multiple discussions with the chair-umpire over issuing a warning to the hecklers.

Sabalenka, who started the match on a really slow note, stuck till the end to witness Collins’ level drop and eventually ended up as the winner in three tight sets against the American. Despite low attendance, the crowd at Manolo Santana ensured that they made just the right noise to root for their defending champion Sabalenka.

While crowd energy is one of the key reasons for a tennis match to be more intriguing, it can get really frustrating for a player if her unforced errors get constantly cheered upon. At one point, Collins decided to directly deal with the aggressive crowd but she got shushed by them in the end.

With the same getting repeated multiple times, Danielle Collins looked dejected out there and a change in her body language was clearly visible, especially in the third set. On the other hand, Sabalenka was quietly building on this distraction to hit winners more freely on both the forehand and the backhand wings.

Before Danielle could realize what was going on, the Belarusian was all over her with her dominant game and took the crucial third set to make it to the quarter-finals, where she will meet the in-form young Russian Mirra Andreeva.

However, this was not the first time that Collins faced such adversity from the Madrid Open crowd.

Not the first time that Danielle Collins faced a heckler at the Madrid Open

During Collins’ round of 32 match against Jacquelin Cristian, the American gave it back to a noisy fan who was constantly sneering at her from the stands.

Collins, known for her frank demeanor, wasted no time in giving it back to the fan by saying, “Have a little more respect.” With this loss to Aryna Sabalenka, Collins receives a minor break in her winning momentum on the WTA tour. However, with the way she is hitting the ball recently, she’s expected to bounce back in emphatic fashion.

Sabalenka, on the other hand, narrowly escaped losing the No. 2 spot in the WTA singles rankings to Coco Gauff with this win against Danielle Collins.