Grand Slam finalist Danielle Collins reveals vile cameraman KISSED her & opens up on being called ‘b****' by sexist fans
The American, 31, has won four career titles and reached the final of the Australian Open Grand Slam.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
4
Danielle Collins has opened up on some of her vile experiences with 'weird men' around tennis
Credit: EPA
4
The American revealed how one sick cameraman 'made out' with the side of her face
Credit: Getty
4
Collins also revealed how she treats insulting language directed at her as 'a compliment'
Credit: Getty
But in a candid interview on the podcast, Reign with Josh Smith, Collins has spoken out about some of her previous experiences, including being labelled a "b****" by fans and being subjected to inappropriate behaviour from "weird men".
The former world No7 has been outspoken on the subject of abuse women have received in the sport.
She revealed how whenever people have seen her getting upset on the court, fans never truly know the full picture of what has happened.
Collins says that whenever she voices an opinion on a situation, it is because she has reached "boiling point" after sitting on it for a "very long time".
The Florida native explains: "And you know, a lot of the people that are watching sports and watching TV they only get to see a small clip of what takes place.
"They see me getting upset with the cameraman. They don't see everything that led up to why I got upset...
"It definitely seems like when you're a female, if I use my voice and I push back and I ask a question or I set a boundary or even if I don't set a boundary, and I just simply make a request for personal space it's like, how dare I, like I don't have the right to respond or I'm crazy."
Collins highlights one example of when a cameraman "made out" with the side of her face after asking her for a hug.
She explained: "I had a situation a bunch of years ago when I first got on tour and I was dealing with a cameraman that was very persistent.
"And I remember I came off the court, I lost a long three set match, I'm kind of like cramping, I'm tired and all the things are happening.
Moment Emma Raducanu clocks 'fixated' man in crowd & breaks down behind umpire's chair before he's 'escorted out'
"And this guy goes, 'oh, Danielle, you know, I'm so sorry. Can I give you a hug?' And I, I look at my coach, I'm like, 'uh, sure.'
"So I'm like, standing like this and he goes in to hug me and then all of a sudden he goes in to kiss me and I'm like, 'oh no, oh my gosh.'
"And he literally starts making out with a side of my face."
Collins adds that people often don't see behind the scenes interactions with "weird men" who show up at events before stalking them and following them to their hotels.
British No1 Emma Raducanu was the victim of a terrifying stalking case which saw her burst into tears on court at the Dubai Tennis Championship in February.
The 22-tear-old hid behind the umpire's chair as the "fixated man" was removed by security after she spotted him just two points into her game.
Raducanu's former coach Roman Kelecic, claimed the man previously stalked her in Singapore, the UAE and Qatar and had even given her a letter and asked for a photo in a coffee shop the day before.
He was handed a restraining order from Dubai police while his name was also circulated among tennis authorities before it was revealed in June that the sick man had applied for tickets to this year's Wimbledon.
Collins spoke about stalking issues for tennis stars last year, saying it was something many people outside of the sport weren't even aware of, with the tennis pro telling The Telegraph how she doesn't really go places without security detail.
But no matter how much these issues need highlighting, Collins will still be the victim of insults.
However, Collins actually takes great pride in being insulted, believing that being called a "b****" is often directed at women she "loves and respects".
Collins says: "When somebody says that, 'Danielle Collins is a b****.' I kind of just take it as a compliment because so many of the women that I love and respect have been labelled as a 'b****,' and they're a badass woman.
"There are women that get s*** done. There are women that go
after their dreams. There are women that are assertive, powerful, hardworking and they are people that I strive to be.
"So I feel like being a b**** can actually be kind of like a good thing
because it also means you're not afraid to back down when someone's being a jerk.
"It means that you're not afraid to be yourself, and you're okay with not being liked and you're gonna be confident regardless of what other people think about you."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
5 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
American wrestling star Hulk Hogan dies aged 71
24-hour usage only. No archive, no resale. American wrestling star Hulk Hogan, 'one of pop culture's most recognisable figures', has died. A statement from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on X said: 'WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. 'One of pop culture's most recognisable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s."
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lions eye series victory against Australia – talking points ahead of second Test
The British and Irish Lions are aiming to complete their first series victory since 2013 when they clash with Australia in the second Test. Here, the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into their collision at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Lions move in for the kill A flawless record of seven wins since arriving Down Under has placed the Lions on the brink of an achievement that has only been managed twice before in the professional era. Successful Lions tours are the exception, not the rule, but they are overwhelming favourites to crush Australia for the second time. The persistent rain forecast to fall throughout Saturday could be a leveller, but on the strength of a one-sided first Test, Andy Farrell's men should be comfortable winners. Do or die for Australia The Wallabies are not just playing to keep the series alive, but also their credibility as a tour destination for the elite of British and Irish rugby. These are difficult times for Australian rugby and even though their precarious finances have been shored up by the Lions' visit, problems abound on and off the field. It is imperative that they take the series to a decider by rising to the occasion in Melbourne. If they lose again, calls for the Lions to instead turn their attention to the mouth-watering prospect of a tour to France will only grow louder. Down but not out For all their difficulties, Joe Schmidt's men are not without hope for their shot at levelling the series. They scored more points in the second-half at Suncorp Stadium where, unexpectedly, their bench made the greater impact. Reinforcing their assault on the Lions are the return of powerful forwards Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, whose very presence after missing the first Test because of calf injuries should prevent their pack being bullied again. Valetini's ball carrying at the blindside flanker is a particularly important weapon. Comeback king One of the most fascinating stories of the tour took another twist when Owen Farrell was named on the bench for the MCG clash. If he comes on, the former England captain will be making his first Test appearance in almost two years. Even after two quietly encouraging performances on tour, including a full 80 minutes on Tuesday when he proved his fitness following a season of injury setbacks, the involvement of Andy Farrell's son as a late call-up divides opinion, but so far his presence has only benefitted the squad. Stage set for Russell Much of the spotlight this week has fallen on Owen Farrell, allowing the Lions' real star to glide into the second Test relatively unnoticed. In Brisbane, Finn Russell was mesmerising at times during a first half when his passing repeatedly unlocked Australia's defence. Aided by a dominant pack and the generalship of scrum-half Jamison Gibson Park, the 32-year-old is functioning at the peak of his powers and has another opportunity to prove that on current form, he is the game's standout fly-half.
Scottish Sun
6 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Bobby and Freddy Brazier heal family feud as they support dad Jeff as he makes stage debut
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOBBY Brazier and his brother Freddy came together for one night to support their dad in his new stage debut - despite their ongoing feud. The brothers put aside their differences to watch their TV presenter dad make his debut in the new West End show 101 Dalmations: The Musical. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Bobby and Freddy Brazier came together for one night to support their dad Credit: Splash 5 The new musical 101 Dalmations is showing at the Eventim Apollo in London Credit: Getty 5 Jeff plays the role of Casper in the new musical 101 Dalmations: The Musical Credit: Getty Jeff plays the role of Casper in the new musical, alongside JLS singer Aston Merrygold, who stars as his onscreen brother Jasper. The musical is playing at the Eventim Apollo in London from now until August 30. Jeff shares Bobby and Freddy with late TV reality star Jade Goody. The family feud began after Jeff started proceedings to stop Freddy seeing his maternal grandmother Jackiey Budden, 68, Jeff insists that she is a bad influence on Freddy, 20, but that hasn't stopped the youngster spending time at his nan's flat in Bermondsey, despite his dad filing court paperwork. Last month, Freddy snubbed Jeff on Father's Day amid the ongoing legal battle to stop him seeing Jackiey. Instead he chose to keep quiet, and not post anything, while his brother Bobby did post about his dad on Father's Day. Taking to Instagram at the time, the EastEnders star shared a photo of himself, Jeff and Freddy stood on a beach, looking out towards the ocean. With the three having their arms around each other in the snap, he captioned: "My dad's a rock." Freddy and Bobby's beloved mum Jade died of cervical cancer on Mother's Day in 2009. Meanwhile, Freddy recently made a shock U-turn on plans to enter rehab – just days after admitting he's been hooked on smoking since the age of 12. The TV star - who appeared on Celebrity Race Across The World with his dad - shared his dramatic change of heart on Instagram. Posting a black and white throwback of himself as a child, Freddy wrote: 'You know what I don't need rehab! I just need a holiday with a good group of boys or a retreat.' It came just days after Freddy stunned followers when he opened up about his long-standing smoking addiction. He revealed he wanted to get help in Spain for cannabis, saying he 'wants a healthy relationship with his dad'. Inside Bobby Brazier's burgeoning TV career Bobby Brazier has risen through the ranks to become a well known face on British TV. As the son of Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier, he has been well-known amongst the public from a young age. Bobby first embarked on a showbiz career when he was just 16-years old when he started modelling. The star made his catwalk debut in 2020 at Milan Fashion Week, but it wasn't long before he had his eyes on a TV career. He shot to prominence in 2022 when he was cast as Freddie Slater in EastEnders. The incredibly acting skills displayed on screen earned him the National Television Award in the 'Rising Star' category. His famous dad was in tears as Bobby accepted the award on stage in front of the likes of Holly Willoughby and Alison Hammond. It wasn't long before BBC bosses wanted him to take part in the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing. He clearly impressed the viewers with his dancing skills as he made the grand final and was a runner-up. Since then, viewers were delighted when he returned to his role in the long-running BBC One soap. In a heartfelt post, he said: 'I want to be clean so I can life happily and have healthy relationships with people.." "...and be there for all of my family rather then feeling like I'm in the middle and have to choose a side.' Freddy also shared hopes of mending things with his famous father, saying: 'I want to play football and take up boxing. "I want to be happy and be in a healthy relationship and have a healthy relationship with my Nana and my father.' During his appearance on BBC's Celebrity Race Across the World, Bobby opened up about the grief he suffered after his mum died. He said: "I don't really remember being held by my mum… if I had more memories with her, it would have made it a whole lot harder for me, but I think I would rather that than not remembering the things I had done with my mum.'" 5 Freddy and Bobby's beloved mum Jade died of cervical cancer on Mother's Day in 2009 Credit: Splash
