Danielle Collins doesn’t seem to regret her brutal criticism of Iga Swiatek during the Paris Olympics. The 30-year-old American says she just wants to be herself and act and talk the way she feels.

In case you missed it, Collins was doing great against Swiatek on the clay courts of Roland Garros, even winning their Olympic quarterfinal in three sets. But then something started to bother Collins – and after Swiatek was 4-1 up in the deciding set – the world number 11 was forced to withdraw from the match with an abdominal injury.

But that wasn’t all, because Collins approached Swiatek and it was clear that she had some words that baffled the Pole. Afterwards, the American tennis player said that she had called the Polish world number 1 “disingenuous” and that she didn’t want someone who was “fake” to regret an injury.

“There’s a lot that goes on off camera, and there’s a lot of people with a lot of charisma who act one way on camera and another way in the locker room. I just haven’t had the best experience, and I don’t really feel like anyone has to be fake. They can be who they are. I can accept that, but I don’t need the fakeness,” Collins said in her post-match press conference.

The drama between Collins and Swiatek naturally attracted a lot of attention, because the 23-year-old Pole is known to be shy and introverted. No one has ever criticized her like that, at least not in public.

Collins: I don’t care if it comes across as conceited and arrogant…

This week, Collins was a guest on American tennis legend Jimmy Connors’ podcast, where she was asked to discuss her personality.

“I just try to be my authentic self. However that comes across, there’s going to be times when I’m really happy and upbeat and high, and then there’s going to be times when I’m in a bad mood,” Collins said on the Advantage Connors podcast.

But even before the Swiatek drama, Collins has had a few moments on the court over the past year — most notably when she challenged Maria Sakkari during one of their matches, and she’s also had a few tense moments with the crowd. The 30-year-old American is okay with that, though, because that’s just who she is.

“I like to look at my matches as a performance, and if I was a little robotic and kept it to myself, I wouldn’t be true to myself. I’d be trying to be something I’m not, and I don’t think that would be fair to me or the people watching,” Collins explained.

“I’m very focused on what I do, and I don’t care what other people think. I don’t care if it comes across as arrogant and conceited to a fan who hasn’t played tennis, who hasn’t been in my shoes, who hasn’t had the same life experiences as me.

“(Since I was little) I was taught to let it all out. If I was upset, I could be upset. As long as I’m doing my job, as long as I’m not hurting other people, and as long as I’m doing my best, that’s all that matters, and I think that’s really helped me as an adult, to be that way.”

What did Swiatek say about the Collins case?

When Collins revealed her message, Swiatek was asked to share her thoughts on the matter. However, the five-time Grand Slam champion did not want to get into a war of words with the 2024 Miami Open champion, and instead acknowledged the great send-off the American has had so far this year.

“I think it’s better to ask her. I’d rather not get into that because this is her last year on tour. I haven’t had a chance to tell her that she had a great trip and that she played really well,” Swiatek said.

Collins, meanwhile, could face Swiatek in her final Grand Slam appearance at the US Open as they both reached the same part of the draw and could potentially face each other in the quarterfinals.

If that match were to take place at Flushing Meadows, there is no doubt that it would attract a lot of attention, given what has happened recently. And since Collins would be playing on her home turf, the crowd would certainly be very supportive.

It will be interesting to see if Collins and Swiatek can arrange a meeting at the US Open.