Iga Swiatek, Danielle Collins caught up in ‘insincere’ row after tense Paris 2024 clash
Danielle Collins has revealed she told Iga Swiatek she “didn’t have to be insincere” after what was a tense quarter-final at the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.
World No 1 and gold medal favourite Swiatek progressed to the last four after Collins retired at 6-1, 2-6, 4-1 down in their last eight match on Suzanne Lenglen.
However, the scoreline does not tell the full story of what was a testy encounter.
Collins told Swiatek to “play at the server’s pace” after the Pole held up her hand to hold up the American’s service motion at one point, while the American also accidentally hit Swiatek with a ball.
The world No 1 was jeered back onto the court after a lengthy break after set two, while Collins was off court for a lengthy medical time out at 3-0 down in the decider.
The pair exchanged a notable conversation after Collins retired, and the eighth seed revealed afterwards she spoke to Swiatek about being “insincere”.
“I told Iga she didn’t have to be insincere about, you know, my injury,” said the 30-year-old.
“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 the fakeness.”
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In response, five-time major winner Swiatek claimed in her own press conference that she had never done anything “unpleasant” towards her opponent.
She commented: “Well, I won’t argue about it, because I’ve never done anything unpleasant towards her.
“I just wanted to congratulate her on her successful career, because we all know that this is her last year on tour.
“Honestly, I don’t know what she meant because we didn’t even have any interactions that could have caused her to say that to me.”
The Pole also addressed the lengthy medical time out, which raised the eyebrows of some.
“Generally speaking, during tournaments, when we go out and have time to change our clothes, we are entitled to five minutes.
“Here I asked the lady who escorted me how much time I had. She didn’t tell me that. She replied that they don’t count time here and that I should just leave when I feel like it.
“So I used this time to change and cool down, and then I returned to the court. I honestly didn’t know how much time had passed, but I didn’t do anything against the rules.
“I don’t really know what the whole situation was about.”
Swiatek will face sixth seed Zheng Qinwen in the last four.
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