Danielle Collins has began her 2025 season with a title, despite not playing a single match at the United Cup.
Collins elected to be part of the American United Cup squad as the highest ranked second player for any nation, but would not get any match time due to the presence of Coco Gauff.
Therefore Collins spent her time cheering from the bench, as the USA went onto win their second United Cup title since the events inauguration in 2022.
Many did not even expect to see Collins near a tennis court this year, after she announced in Australia last year that she was set to retire at the end of the season due to health issues and her desire to start a family.
However, Collins made a U-turn on that retirement decision at the end of 2024 after revealing that things had not gone to plan in her ‘personal fertility journey’ and were set to take a bit longer than expected.
Collins is expected to make her return to the matchcourt at the Adelaide International against Ons Jabeur this week, but is currently making headlines for a different reason.
Danielle Collins reacts to handshake with Iga Swiatek
Before the final tie of the United Cup even got underway between the USA and Poland there was a big talking point, as Collins was criticised for her handshake with Iga Swiatek.
Collins appeared to roll her eyes and turn away from Swiatek during their handshake, catching the attention of many across social media.
Following the USA’s triumph in Sydney, Collins reacted to the handshake herself on social media and even put a screenshot of her face as her own Instagram profile picture.
The WTA No.11 also posted an Instagram story saying, “Didn’t know if you guys noticed this but…New year, same me.”
Collins then followed this up with a zoomed in picture of the handshake poking fun at the situation, “Sometimes I just gotta laugh at myself.”
Where does the drama between Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek originate?
This is not the first time that Collins and Swiatek have been involved in the headlines together, after an awkward incident at the Paris Olympic Games last year.
During their quarter-final on the Roland Garros clay, Collins told Swiatek to ‘play to the server’s pace’ when waiting for her opponent to get ready to return the ball.
Things heightened later on in the match when Collins was forced to retire due to an abdominal injury.
When Collins went over to tell the five-time Grand Slam champion that she was retiring from the match, there appeared to be a tense exchange between the pair leaving Swiatek looking confused.
This was explained speaking to press after the incident, as Collins revealed that she told Swiatek ‘not to be insincere’ in a somewhat cryptic answer.
“I told Iga she didn’t have to be insincere about, you know, my injury,” said Collins. “There’s a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma and come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room.
“And I just haven’t had the best experience, and I don’t really feel like anybody needs to be insincere. They can be the way that they are. I can accept that, and I don’t need that fakeness.”
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