By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, January 17, 2025
Photo credit: Hannah Peters/Getty
A Grand Slam night match can feel like a competitive jungle with adversaries lurking everywhere.
Seeing Danielle Collins confront a rowdy AO crowd with defiant humor has made Novak Djokovic a devoted Danimal fan.
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Asked his reaction to the Miami Open champion's exchange with fans during—and after—her 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2 triumph over Australia's Destanee Aiava in the second round, Djokovic said he "loved it."
"I loved her response," Djokovic told the media after defeating Tomas Machac. "I loved it, everything she said on the court, off the court.
"Big fan of Danielle Collins after that. I was before, but now, big fan (smiling). I love it."
The 2022 AO finalist Collins cupped her hand behind her ear in a "let me hear it" gesture as some Aussie fans jeered after her victory. A smiling collins blew kisses to a contentious crowd.
As she walked to her court-side chair, Collins then patted her butt in jest to the crowd suggesting a 'kiss my butt" gesture.
As she went to her chair, Collins then patted her butt in jest to the crowd suggesting a 'kiss my butt" gesture.
“The people that don't like you, and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills. Obviously my professional career is not going to last forever,” Collins said in her post-match press conference. “Anyone who bought a ticket to come out here and heckle me, it's all going toward the Danielle Collins Fund.”
Grand Slam king Djokovic, who has had his own run-ins with rowdy and/or inebriated fans at Melbourne Park, said while he's seen some criticize Collins he believes she "handled it really well."
"I heard some comments of people that she shouldn't have said that or that. I think she handled it really well," Djokovic said. "I don't think I would be that polite, and I know exactly the feeling. So I think she was funny, smart, and just big fan of what she did. Big fan."
You can understand why the 10-time AO champion is a big Collins fan.
Both 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic and Collins are passionate players often fueled by emotion. Both are supreme fighters and both have well-earned reputations for confronting disrespectful fans or opponents.
Subject to a fan hurling profanity at him during his win over Aussie Alexei Popyrin at the 2024 AO, Djokovic stopped, turned, walked to the black back wall, stared down the disruptor and challenged the fan "come say it to my face."
That intense exchange was the fire that fueled Djokovic to a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 triumph over Popyrin to battle into the Australian Open third round for the 16th time last January.
Asked afterward what the fan was yelling at him, Djokovic replied "you don't want to know" before sharing what happened when he reached his boiling point.
"I was tolerating it for most of the match. At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face," Djokovic said. "When you confront somebody, unfortunately for him, he didn't have the courage to come down.
"That's what I was asking him. If you have courage, if you're such a tough man, tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let's have a discussion about it. He was apologizing from far away. That's all it is."
The former world No. 1 said he has no issue with fans expressing themselves, but said when apparently inebriated fans cross the verbal line he will not tolerate it and serve as a verbal punching bag.
"I'm not going to sit and say it's all good. It's not good," Djokovic said. "Of course, it upsets me. I'm frustrated. I don't want to be experiencing that, but I have to accept it as it is.
"Sometimes I don't tolerate when somebody crosses the line. That's it. That's what happened. People have a few drinks... I guess late at night as well, that probably also has an effect on how they feel and behave.
"That's okay. People pay tickets to come and watch us. They want to see the show."
The Grand Slam king is the Open Era's greatest champion defeating raucous and adverse fans.
Why is Djokovic so good when some fans turn bad against him?
We put that question to combustible Hall of Famer John McEnroe, who calls Djokovic the greatest of all time against adverse audiences.
"That’s a great question. He’s the greatest that I’ve ever seen, by far, when the crowd is against him." McEnroe said. "I had some times where that took place certainly, many times. It felt like never to the extent of Novak. I didn’t handle it nearly as well.
"For a while, you get inspired. Eventually it wears a little thin and old. You’re like, How come I can’t get some love in a way? When I got some love, that was when my game went down. I wasn’t good enough to win, unfortunately.
"Novak has been able to find that perfect sort of sweet spot where he’s able to use that as fuel, and in his 30s gotten better. I wish I knew. I wish I had known when I played. I wish I know even in a way now because I would try to impart that to anyone that would listen.
"That is the greatest quality he’s got without a doubt. Connors was great at it also. He’s probably the best I played....Novak is the best by far of having the crowd against him and turning it around."