Danielle Collins has never been one to mince words, whether on or off the court. Her fiery personality and willingness to speak her mind have made her both a fan favorite and a lightning rod for controversy. But in the world of tennis, where rivalries are as intense off the court as they are on it, such a bold approach can sometimes lead to tension. One such tension-filled relationship is seemingly emerging between Collins and Iga Swiatek.

In an interview with Jimmy Connors and Brett Connors for their Advantage Connors Podcast, Collins let her true emotions out about the gestures she depicts on the court. She revealed that riding high on emotions and letting them out during the matches helped her to a great extent in her career. “I am just really all about trying to be my authentic self. No matter how that comes off, there is gonna be times I am really happy and bubbly and high and then there’s times where I am like gonna be in a bad mood,” the 30-year-old said.

The tennis community has witnessed the calm as well as the agitated side of Collins. She has often been seen engaging in chatter with her opponents and sometimes tussles with them as well. The American sensation has not spared the audience either and is known for exchanging heated moments with them as well, at times. But Collins believes that not doing so would keep her away from success.

Continuing further in the interview, Danimal claimed that she is more of an expressive person. “I like to make my matches like a performance, and if I were, kind of, more like robotic, keeping it to myself, I wouldn’t be true to myself.”

“Tennis sometimes… It can be a little bit of a stuffy sport at times,” Collins further added. While this could simply be a statement Collins made for herself and her behavior, it might also be a subtle dig at Swiatek. Interestingly, Danimal’s statement comes just days after her heated exchange with Swiatek on the courts of Rolland Garros.  

Remember, the Polish sensation is known for keeping her emotions to herself and has more of a ‘robotic’ outlook on the courts. A similar sentiment was also echoed by Caroline Garcia in the past. Speaking in March this year, Garcia had said that Swiatek is like a ‘robot’ in front of emotions.

Reflecting on that match between Collins and Swiatek in the Olympics, Danimal decided to retire when she was trailing 4-1 in the third set. However, she seemed to exchange some words with the Pole which left the World No. 1 confused. Collins accused Swiatek of ‘fakeness.’

“They can be the way that they are, I can accept that, and I don’t need the fakeness,” the American said.

Because of what happened in Paris, some people now might see Collins’ latest statements as an aftermath of that controversy. But Swiatek has faced controversial remarks in the past as well.

When Jimmy Arias slammed Iga Swiatek for an uncommon trait

Jimmy Arias took a dig at Iga Swiatek in 2023 for her gesture and demeanor on the tennis courts. He critiqued the star player and advised her to change her appearance and make more connections with the fans during the matches. 

Speaking in an interview, Arias said, “She wears her hat so low that you can’t even see her face or eyes during the match, so you don’t get a connection as much as you could… I want to see her personality.” Arias’ remarks, however, led to huge furor with many claiming the remarks to be inappropriate.

Coming back to Danimal’s latest statement, it would be interesting to see if her straining relationship with Swiatek sees some relief as the American star prepares to hang up her racquets. Will Collins and Swiatek overcome the on-court tussle and write a new chapter of camaraderie? Only time will tell.