Danielle Collins calls out Novak Djokovic for "serious contradiction"

No one has made the mistake of calling Danielle Collins bashful. In her short time on the WTA tour, the Floridian has become one of the most outspoken players both on and off the court. In her most recent Instagram post, the world No. 51 joined Dan Evans in expressing her displeasure for Novak Djokovic’s recent comments about the US Open’s “impossible” COVID-19 protocols.

Collins believes Djokovic’s comments contradict his previous efforts to initiate a relief fund for players ranked outside the top 250.

“No one has been able to play sanctioned events or make money since February,” Collins said. “This is a massive opportunity for players to start making money again, and here we have the top player in the world saying only being able to bring one person will be too difficult because he won’t be able to bring his entourage.”

With Roger Federer officially sidelined for the rest of the 2020 season, perhaps Collins is concerned that the US Open would not move forward as planned if the rest of the Big Three refuse to play. Rafael Nadal has also voiced his displeasure of playing in an empty stadium, stating “tennis and sports without the fans loses almost every single thing.”

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One certainly can’t blame Collins for voicing her concerns. She knows never to underestimate the power global superstars wield in a union-less sport comprised entirely of players who act as independent contractors for the various tournaments. But perhaps it would be more effective if her energy was directed toward the tournament itself, given players are accustomed to setting their own event calendars.

“Some of the players are afraid that tournaments aren’t going to happen without the guarantees of the top players playing,” Lindsay Davenport said on Wednesday’s edition of Tennis Channel Live. “That's not how the sport should run, a Grand Slam should either go or it doesn’t go. It shouldn’t matter what players are saying two, three months ahead of time.”

“Have the event or don’t have it, but don’t have it based on the guest list,” Jon Wertheim added.

With all tour competition currently suspended through August 2, officials are expected to announce formal plans for the rest of the 2020 season early next week.