ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2025

Danielle Collins

Press Conference

D. COLLINS/J. Burrage

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Danielle, congratulations. What are you most happy with your game, the performance today?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I think I was challenged a lot. My opponent today was coming up with some really good shots. I did a good job kind of sticking it out and trying to do my best and weather the storm when she was hitting winners, hitting a lot of big serves.

Yeah, I think just trying to ride out the wave.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I'm from the Dutch news agency. Can we consider you also a little bit like a Dutch player?

DANIELLE COLLINS: That's so nice. Yeah, my grandmother is from The Netherlands. My mom's side as well, we have a lot of Dutch history, too. The Netherlands is a place that feels like a second home in a lot of ways just because of that heritage.

To get there this year, to play the tournament, I'm really excited. It a tournament that I haven't played in before. I think one of my good friends on tour, Alison Riske, won this tournament, really enjoyed being there. This was a bucket list tournament that I wanted to get to play before I retire.

I'm really excited about going. I have a lot of friends, and friends that are like family in The Netherlands. It makes it really special to be able to go there and compete this year.

Q. First time you will play there?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, the first time playing there. I visited many times. It's one of my favorite places to travel to, yeah. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the thing with the cameraman in Strasbourg. How do you look to the safety of female players these days?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I think those are two separate issues. I think what happened in Strasbourg was just me asking for personal space at my workplace. I don't know why that is even a topic of discussion, frankly. I mean, it should be something that we can get to have during, like, our work.

The fact that I've had to ask so many different times in my career and during different matches to just have an adequate level of personal space I think is kind of strange.

I think oftentimes it seems like my response is treated like the offense itself. I'm learning that as a female, asking for personal space seems to be an issue for a lot of people.

I think it's really pathetic honestly that it's even a topic of discussion. It's something that over time there's been no one that's been able to kind of make the adjustment. In the video, there's so much that people don't see. They don't see the person go and stand right on top of Emma to get a good shot of me in about a two- to three-foot space.

I'm doing a performance job, trying to focus on my work, trying to maintain my focus and concentration. My job requires channeling physical, emotional, and then logical, right, things going on. It's my job to try to put that all together. The last thing that I should be focusing on is someone that's right on top of my opponent and right in my face.

It's really unnecessary, too, especially with the capability that we have with technology. I mean, I feel like we can get a good shot and maybe, like, have a little bit more distance between each other.

But to go off of what you're saying, I think the other thing is a separate issue. I think that man was trying to do his job, but where do you draw the line, right? I don't necessarily think that it was creepy. I think we should all be able to say, Hey, I would like some physical space.

You go to different tournaments and you ask nicely most of the time, you ask politely, that doesn't get reported on. The time I'm like, Hey. I get upset about it, and that response is treated as the offense itself. That's what I find most interesting about it.

Q. We had the president of the FFT talking this morning about scheduling again, because once more it's all men's matches at night. First matches are women's matches. He basically said he thinks it will be better matches for the spectators to have the men at the end. What do you make of the schedule?

DANIELLE COLLINS: To be honest, I haven't put a lot of thought into the scheduling because I'm always just focused on trying to show up and do my job and do it the best as possible.

But I do think there's a lot of benefits to having the women on during the night matches. We attract a lot of fans, a lot of crowd. We create a lot of discussion around the game overall, right?

I think there's certainly value there, having us on the night schedule, as well. I think, yeah, probably a little out of the ordinary compared to some of the other events, right?

That's all I can really say. I don't know exactly what he said, so I'm sorry.

Q. Iga was saying she's mostly focused on the tournament, doesn't try to worry too much about that sort of stuff. You sort of said similar. How do you sort out the balance of staying focused on your own career while still trying to advocate and stand up for yourself? How do you balance keeping your mind in the game while also still having that sort of advocacy or needing to stand up for yourself or women more largely?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I think that's a good question.

I think sometimes when we're playing in events, obviously there's a lot for us to focus on as athletes. I think that can be hard to understand for people that maybe haven't played the sport.

Yes, it's a privilege to be here. It's a privilege to get the opportunity to do what we do. At the end of the day there's going to always be little things that the tournaments, the tours can always improve on.

I do think it's a hard thing for us to balance because at the end of the day we're performers, we're trying to do our job on court first. That requires a lot of concentration.

Honestly, the second you step away from the court, it requires so much concentration. Sometimes having these conversations I think can be distracting, especially if you get sucked into kind of a negative narrative that isn't intended to be.

So I can see why players are probably hesitant to sometimes speak on different matters, because we're all just trying to do our best at the end of the day. Unfortunately, if you make just a comment about a preference, like, you can be labeled as a brat (smiling). You have to be so careful with everything you say and how you say it, otherwise it just can get taken out of context.

I do think that there's a lot of women on tour that are probably uncomfortable to sometimes speak on different issues because of the way that can kind of happen.

Maybe, too, it's also a sign of maturity from some players to try to handle things internally. I think that that can be a better tact in certain instances.

But yeah, I think it's a little bit more challenging sometimes for the women to be able to voice their opinions because we really get hammered when it's not in alignment with what the public views and what other people's feelings are on the matter, so...

Q. Your next opponent is Olga Danilovic. What would you say is the toughest challenge playing her? What do you recall from last year's match?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, we've had two very close matches, two very long battles. Olga is a big hitter, obviously a great athlete. I'll really have to bring my A game, really just focus on playing my game style, executing that well, I think just being ready to adjust to kind of the different angles and the different spins that sometimes come from playing a lefty.

Luckily I've been practicing with some lefties in the last few weeks, so hopefully I can use that to my advantage.

Q. I don't know exactly how to put this, but in this press conference and also for many years you've had this wonderful quality, going forward and speaking your mind. Sometimes in terms of gender, but usually in a very nuanced but a very candid way. Could you talk about that, how that's developed. Is that something you're proud of, your voice?

DANIELLE COLLINS: Yeah, I mean, I think a big goal for me is to be honest, to answer questions thoughtfully, to enter these conversations with intention, to offer some substance to what we're all talking about. Otherwise I would just put people to sleep.

I feel like at the end of the day everyone's doing their job by asking questions, and creating conversation around tennis. I think there can be a lot of benefit to having conversation about tennis, even when the conversation's difficult, even when it can be challenging, even when it can ruffle feathers. I do think there's benefit there.

That's something that I feel like I can contribute to in a positive way on tour, is creating a lot of discussion on different various topics and opening that up, because I am an open person.

I feel like for me, I'm comfortable in my own skin, so I'm able to kind of enter these conversations I think with a little bit more ease.

But yeah, I can understand why it can be challenging for some of the other players, as well. I don't think people understand how difficult it can be sometimes being a public figure and having to be on all of the time. Especially as women, we have a lot of standards we're held to, being perfect all the time, having the perfect response, having the perfect attitude, having the perfect emotions, having the perfect life, right?

It's just not realistic, so I've tried to be open about the good, the bad, the ugly, my challenges, triumphs, and just offer some substance to people.

Q. Have you gotten support from the locker room or is there some not so supportive?

DANIELLE COLLINS: One of the things I'm most proud about in my career is the friendships that I've made. I don't think that everybody gets to see that because we're competing so hard on the court. Obviously I'm a competitor first and foremost but some of the close bonds and friendships that I have with different players that people maybe wouldn't expect.

I feel like for the most part I've been supported. I feel like I give the girls sometimes some things to laugh about. We have inside jokes because of things that I've done or things that I've said. We poke fun at each other, are able to laugh.

Yeah, so I think generally it's been pretty positive for the most part.