MELBOURNE (Reuters) – American tennis firebrand Danielle Collins delivered on her pledge to take a vacation in the Bahamas with her Australian Open prizemoney in a final shot at fans who booed her at the Grand Slam.
The world number 12 was given a hostile reception as she knocked out home favourite Destanee Aiava in the second round at Melbourne Park and responded by saying the hecklers were funding her next holiday.
Collins posted video on social media on Sunday showing her enjoying a “five star vacay” at a Bahamas resort with friends.
The video finishes with her slapping her backside after winning a point while playing pickleball.
Collins riled up the Melbourne Park crowd by slapping her backside during her win over Aiava.
“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,” she later told reporters.
“Yeah, bring it on. I love it. Me and my group of girlfriends love a five-star vacation.”
Collins, the 2022 Australian Open runnerup to local hero Ash Barty, was also jeered during her third round defeat to compatriot and eventual winner Madison Keys.
The 31-year-old said after the match she did not care what the fans thought and that people needed to lighten up a bit.
“The biggest thing is nobody got hurt. Maybe some feelings got hurt or things were taken personally. They probably shouldn’t have been,” said Keys, who earned A$290,000 ($178,000) for her run to the third round in Australia.
($1 = 1.6311 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
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