World No. 14 Danielle Collins explained the reasons behind launching her merchandise with the phrases ‘Play Tennis. Cash Checks. Repeat’ following a controversy with fans at the Australian Open.
“Actually, I’m more of an introvert, which is why it took so long to release merch! (Laughs.) I wasn’t ready to go this far and open up, but now I am!”
For years, fans have been asking me: ‘Danielle, when will your merch be released? We need merch from ‘Danimal’ Collins.’ Eventually, I decided: ‘Let’s go for it! We’ll release it, and now is the perfect time.’ We wanted to create something very fun, bold, and stylish – something that fans would enjoy wearing both at matches and off the court, so they could have fun too.”
“I’ve made some bold statements and brought a lot of attention to women’s tennis and to the fact that women can talk about money.”
“I like to laugh at myself. I don’t take myself too seriously, but other people do! They see my reaction to inappropriate behavior and react to it worse than to the inappropriate behavior itself.”
“It turns out that if I’m ready to respond, then I’m crazy. If I’m ready to respond, then I cross the line. If I’m ready to respond, then something is wrong with me. But I’ve been able to stand up for myself for some time now. Right now, I’m prouder than ever of myself and my career, considering everything I’ve overcome.”
“Female athletes face a lot of specific issues that male athletes don’t. It’s not politics – it’s just a fact. In my opinion, in our society, it’s not acceptable to stand up for yourself, not hide your feelings, or show emotions. You can still encounter disapproval if you show frustration or anger on the court. I think a lot of very unhealthy and unfair expectations are placed on us.”
“I realized who I really am. I’m a passionate person, sometimes emotional, and I won’t let people walk all over me. I won’t let not only myself but also others be offended.”
“When a male athlete achieves success and earns good money, he can talk about it more openly, and he won’t be judged like women are when they talk about success and money. It’s easy to see: society still doesn’t accept women talking about money and being proud of their successes. Part of this merch is designed to motivate women to openly talk about money and success. I want more women to feel comfortable and embrace their victories,” Collins is quoted as saying.
