Danielle Collins booed at Australian Open after blowing kisses to crowd following victory over Aussie

American tennis player and 10th seed, Danielle Collins, made headlines in Melbourne, with her post-match behavior overshadowing her second-round victory over Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava. Collins, who was a runner-up to Ash Barty in 2022, was tested by Aiava but ultimately prevailed with a score of 7-6(7-4), 4-6, 6-2.

However, the focus of the evening shifted to events after match point. Collins taunted the crowd, who were hoping to see their local player win. As boos echoed around Melbourne Park, Collins continued to antagonize them. She blew kisses to the crowd before making a gesture suggesting they should kiss her backside. This action was met with even louder boos, which continued as Collins attempted to conduct her post-match interview.

When asked about the tenacious Australian player, Collins began by praising Aiava, but the boos forced her to pivot to thanking the crowd for attending and boosting her prize money. "I was thinking during the match, ‘well, I’m here, might as well take this nice check’. Me and Coco love a five-star resort. So part of this check will go towards that – so thank you guys,” Collins said.

Earlier in the match, the American player had yelled “shut up” at the crowd when they booed after a double fault. This unpleasant moment comes as some fans' behavior at Melbourne Park has come under criticism. Former Australian player John Millman criticized spectators who cheered for compatriot James Duckworth to lose more quickly against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.

Millman stated on the ABC Tennis podcast that the Australian Open crowd needs to be "more classy". "I really feel for ‘Ducks’, he’s a good mate of mine," Millman said on the ABC Tennis podcast. "You’re at your home slam and they’re cheering for you to lose because they want to see the next match start. I think that’s where you need to be a little bit more classy. That’s what you have to deal with at the Australian Open."