One look at the dresses on Kia Arena and it was clear Danielle Collins crossed the line.
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The unapologetically antagonising American was at her fiery best on Thursday when she taunted the Australian crowd following her 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-2 victory over local hope Destanee Aiava in the second round of the Australian Open.
Collins, who happily embraces her “Danimal” nickname, rubbed the Melbourne Park crowd’s face in it with a brutal post-match, on-court interview where she insulted the entire country.
The 31-year-old had a variety of issues during the two hour, 25 minute contest, berating a courtside camera operator and later telling the crowd to “shut up” after a missed serve as the vocal home crowd got firmly under her skin.
The 10th seed then ensured she copped the full hatred of the majority of the crowd after sealing match point.
Blowing kisses, winking and repeatedly exclaiming “how about that” towards the crowd, Collins even kissed her hand and touched her butt in the direction of the stands after shaking the umpire’s hands.
There was one line particularly that has rubbed plenty of fans the wrong way — and rightly so.
“Yeah, I mean, Destanee,” she began, before changing tack. “You know I was thinking during the match, I was like ‘hmm, if I’m out here I may as well just take that big, fat pay cheque’.
“Coco (Vandeweghe) and I just love a five-star vacation, so part of that cheque is going to go towards that, so thank you guys.”
Vandeweghe, a former tennis player herself, was in Collins’ team box for the match.
It was the reference to her immense personal wealth — with WTA Tour career prize money earnings of more than $9 million — that looks particularly bad.
Aiava has not hid away from the fact she can barely afford to stay on the professional tour.
It has been a special week for Aiava, the world No. 165, with her qualifying and Round 1 victories giving her prize money of more than $200,000 — something that will allow her to afford the costs of bringing a companion on the road with her this year.
The 24-year-old former teenage prodigy has career prize money earnings of $887,000 — but the figure is violently misleading when considering the costs of being a professional player on the fringes of grand slams.
‘People who hate you pay your bills’ | 05:19
Aiava’s story, rightly or wrongly, is often boiled down to her status as a teenage prodigy, who had Nike executives reaching out to her at the age of 14.
It has been eight years since she made her debut at the Aussie Open — and her Round 1 win this week was the first time she has won through to the second round of a slam.
“It means that I can bring someone to travel with this year, and I can afford to actually go to all the tournaments that I want to,” Aiava said.
“Financially tennis is so expensive.
“I struggle travelling on my own. The fact that I get to bring my fiancee with me and hopefully one of my family members to the big ones, it makes a world of a difference.”
She is not counting her millions.
That is the point that has not been lost on plenty of tennis commentators.
Leading sport journalist Lauren Wood posted on X on Friday: “Been thinking a lot about Danielle this morning.
“Dunno why. As T Fritz donates to LA, as her opponent recycles eBay outfits & struggles to take team on tour, as punters pay through the nose for tickets, as Aust faces cost of living crisis, she’s spruiking megayacht holidays. Hmm.”
One fan posted: “All Danielle Collins had to do to win over the crowd instantly, was thank her opponent for a great match.
“You know, like a professional. That’s all.”
One X user wrote: “Even though I felt for Danielle Collins through her health problems, I have always disliked her as a player and a person.
“Her mocking of the AO crowd after beating one of their hometown Aussie girls is a perfect example of why. Zero class.”
Another posted: “Danielle Collins’ celebration straight after match point was so tacky and cringe worthy.
“Grow up Danielle. Hopefully you get knocked out in the next round. Australian Open crowds are always a bit rowdy. You’re meant to be a professional. Get used to it.”
It simply wasn’t a good look after the local crowd watched the home-town battler walk up the player’s race, eliminated.
The reason Collins’ comments about money are particular classless is that she was playing someone who was lucky to have clothes to wear.
Aiava made headlines this week when she sported a navy, cobalt and sky blue Adidas x Stella McCartney dress — one worn by Caroline Wozniacki during the 2013 US Open.
To make things even more iconic, Aiava said she had picked up the outfit online in the days prior to her opening round encounter.
During her qualifying matches Aiava paid homage to Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic with her match day attire.
Her Thursday night ensemble was also one Sharapova previously wore and it arrived in the nick of time.
“Yes, it was. I was lucky,” she said after the match.
“One of the girls I used to play tennis with reached out. I actually ran out of outfits. She saved my life tonight.
“Yeah, yellow is one of my favourite colours. Yeah, I was really happy to end my singles run in this outfit, I guess.”
She is going to need a lot more dresses this year if her form at Melbourne Park is anything to go by.
“I think I showed myself this week that I do belong here,” she said.
“I’ve known it for quite a while, but actually putting it into action and doing it is completely different. I think I did that this week. Hopefully, the rest of the year goes similar. If not, that’s OK, too.
“At least I’ve had a really good week here. That’s all that matters.
“I think my level throughout the entire week was really good. Being able to back it up match after match… even though I lost today, it was there.”
Collins, meanwhile, had the final say. Brutally so.
“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,” she said in her press conference.
“It’s kind of a cool concept. Obviously my professional career is not going to last forever. So 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 towards the Danielle Collins Fund.
“Me and my group of girlfriends love a five-star vacation. I can guarantee you that check is going to go towards our next five-star trip, hopefully to The Bahamas. We like big boats, we like big boats, we like yachts. We’ll post about it, let you guys know how it goes.”
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