Emma Raducanu faced Danielle Collins for the first time in her career on Wednesday. The British No. 2 took the first set before a back injury reared its head, and Collins went on to win 4-6 6-1 6-3. The American can be a divisive figure on the tour – she previously told a booing Australian Open crowd that they “pay her bills”, and she’s taken issue with Iga Swiatek in the past.
Collins was outspoken again while facing Raducanu, telling a camera operator to give them space and claiming they were being “inappropriate”. After the match, Raducanu had her say on her opponent’s sometimes controversial moments and shed light on their relationship away from the court.
Former world No. 7 Collins stuck up for Raducanu during their second-round match in Strasbourg when she approached a cameraman while getting water in the middle of a changeover.
“I need to get water. We’re on a changeover. You don’t need to be that close to me and you don’t need to be on top of Emma. It’s wildly inappropriate. It’s not that difficult to give space, I’m sorry,” she said.
At the time, Raducanu was standing at the side of the court instead of sitting at her bench, and could be seen to the side of the screen as the operator continued to film.
While Collins’ on-court antics can sometimes frustrate other players, Raducanu admitted she had no problem with anything the 31-year-old did during the match and opened up on their relationship.
“I mean for me, I don’t mind at all. It’s competition. We are both trying to fight for each point. I expect it as well from her,” she said of her rival’s conduct.
“Off the court, we are both cool. We can talk and have conversations. But on the court, we are both trying to win. I don’t think that gets to my head, which is a good thing. It can maybe affect other players.”
The former US Open champion also stuck up for Collins when quizzed over the moment with the cameraman.
She added: “I was standing up because I didn’t want to sit down in the third set because of my back. I was standing as it was a bit more comfortable.
“Then, she came to fill a bottle up and was saying how the cameraman was really close and it felt a bit inappropriate. That’s all she was saying.”
Collins went on to complete the comeback, winning in three sets after dropping the opener. She will now face Anna Kalinskaya, who upset top seed Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.
Raducanu will be hoping to recover after feeling something in her back after her opening match, which flared up again while she faced Collins.
“Yeah, it’s annoying and it’s frustrating. I get these spasms and they’re quite intense and can last for a long time. I’ll just try and make it better,” she said.