By Ryan Gaydos
Published on May 28, 2025
American tennis Star Danielle Collins on Tuesday defended her outburst toward a cameraman during a tournament last week.
The Collins incident occurred at the Strasbourg Internationaux against Emma Raducanu. During a shift change, she told the cameraman to keep his distance while she refilled her water bottle. She said the cameraman was act in an “extremely inappropriate” manner.
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Danielle Collins of the United States of America gestures during her match against Destanee Aiava of Australia in the second round of the women’s singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, January 16, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)
She spoke about it at length after the victory over Jodie Anna Burrage in the first round of Roland-Garros.
“I think what happened in Strasbourg is just me asking for personal space in my workplace. I don’t know why this is even a topic of discussion,” she said via The tennis letter. “It should be something that we can have during, for example, our work. The fact that I have had to ask so many times in my career and during different matches to have just an adequate level of personal space is a bit strange.
“I think a lot of times I feel like my response is treated like the offense itself. I’m learning that as a woman, asking for personal space seems to be a problem for a lot of people. Honestly, I think it’s really pathetic, that it’s even a talking point. It’s something that, over time… no one has been able to adapt to.”
Collins said that in the video that went viral on social media, there was “so much that people don’t see.” She said fans “don’t see the person standing right on top of Emma to take a good photo of me in about 2-3 feet of space.”
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Danielle Collins serves against Aryna Sabalenka during day seven of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on March 24, 2025. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
She added that she needed to be able to focus on the match itself without having a camera in front of her.
“I do performance work. I try to focus on my work. I try to maintain my focus,” Collins said. “My job requires channeling things physical, emotional, then logical. It’s my job to put it all together. The last thing I should be focusing on is someone who is right above my opponent and right in front of me. It’s really pointless.”
Collins wondered where the line was for those working behind the camera.
“I don’t necessarily think it was scary,” she said. “But I think we should all be able to say, ‘Hey. I’d like some physical space.’ You participate in different tournaments and ask each other nicely most of the time. You ask politely. This is not reported. But every time it annoys me, that response is treated like the offense itself. And that’s what I find most interesting.”
The Florida native has never advanced past the quarterfinals of the tournament. French Open.
American Danielle Collins reacts after defeating Australian Destanee Aiava in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, January 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
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She is expected to face Serbian Olga Danilovic in the second round.
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