American tennis pro Danielle Collins thanks Australian Open fans for ‘paying my bills’ after getting heckled
American tennis pro Danielle Collins isn’t making any new friends in Australia this week, and she’s fine with that.
Collins, a finalist in the 2022 Australian Open, advanced to the third round of this year’s Grand Slam after defeating Australia’s own Destanee Aiava on Tuesday, but her victory was met with a harsh reaction by the home crowd.
After dealing with the crowd’s boos for most of the match, Collins blew kisses to fans and egged them on as soon as she won match point.
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"It was a tough crowd and I just figured if I’m going to be out here, I better take home that bigger paycheck," Collins said after the match in an on-court interview. "So yeah, thanks for the paycheck Australia."
"It’s a pretty amazing feeling as an athlete because the people that dislike you or hate you pay your bills," she continued. "So that’s a really rewarding feeling to be out here, and it just feels like a really great day."
Collins defeated Aiava 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2 across a nearly 2 1/2 hour match.
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During her post game presser with the media, Collins doubled down on her reaction to the crowd, adding that the "energy" of fans motivates her – regardless of who they cheer for.
"One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is the people that don’t like you and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills. It’s kind of a cool concept… I just remind myself every day when I have that kind of stuff, they’re paying my bills. Every person that’s bought a ticket to come out here and heckle me or do what they do, it’s all going toward the Danielle Collins’ fund."
Collins quipped that she likes to take "five-star vacations" with her friends, and that her earnings from the Australian Open will go toward their next trip.
"We like boats – we like big boats. We like yachts. We’ll post about it and let you guys know how it goes."
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