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The next installment of the rivalry between five-time Major champion Iga Swiatek and former top-10 player Danielle Collins will take place at Wimbledon 2025. The two will lock horns in the third round on Saturday, July 5.
Swiatek leads the rivalry 7-2. She won their very first meeting at the Adelaide International 2021 in straight sets. Collins returned the favor when they crossed paths the next time, ousting her from the semifinals of the Australian Open 2022.
Swiatek then won the next six matches, until Collins snapped her losing skid at the Italian Open 2025. She beat her younger rival in straight sets to end her title defense.
While their matches are fiercely competitive, there's another element to them as well. Their tussle at the Paris Olympics 2024 marked a turning point in the rivalry. Collins's actions complicated their otherwise cordial relationship. Here's a brief look at what transpired between them ahead of the Wimbledon contest:
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#1. Danielle Collins' "insincere" comment at Paris Olympics 2024 kicked off this saga
Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek's quarterfinal showdown at the Paris Olympics marked a turning point in their rivalry. The American was giving her rival a run for her money right from the start. Unfortunately, she sustained an injury and eventually retired in the third set.
When the two met at the net to greet each other, Collins caught Swiatek off guard by calling her "insincere". The latter was consoling her opponent regarding her untimely injury, so it took her by surprise.
"I told Iga she didn't have to be insincere about my injury... 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. They can be the way that they are, I can accept that, and I don't need the fakeness," Collins said talking to the press after the match.
Swiatek was asked about the exchange during her post-match press conference. She said she simply wanted to say a few kind words to Collins about her injury and career, who was initially set to retire by the end of the 2024 season.
"Well, I won't argue about it, because I've never done anything nasty to her. I rather 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," Swiatek said.
Collins later told Canal+ that the incident was blown out of proportion. During the WTA Finals 2024, she was ready to let bygones be bygones.
"These things happen sometimes on court. I was obviously in a lot of physical pain during that match and felt uncomfortable in that interaction. Of course, I think in hindsight, would do things differently, but hopefully we can just move on from it and just be good competitors, be good people and just try to be the best people we can be," Collins said.
However, just days into the 2025 season and the two got mired in another minor controversy at the United Cup, even though neither directly spoke a word to the other.
#2. Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek's beef continued with an awkward run-in at the United Cup 2025
Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek advanced to the final of the United Cup 2025 while representing their respective countries. Prior to the start of the championship round, all players shook hands with the members of the opposing team in a show of sportsmanship.
When it was time for Collins and Swiatek to do the same, the American barely glanced at her opponent and rolled her eyes as well. Her actions were caught on camera, and she shared the same on social media, making light of the situation. This was brought up during one of her pre-tournament pressers at the Australian Open.
"And all these memes keep coming up on my Instagram of my face, my face says it all, but, you know, and so... I'm just somebody that's pretty genuine about what I'm feeling and thinking, and I also laugh at myself too because I know that I can be this way, and I know that it's not always the greatest, but I try to poke fun at myself and not take myself too seriously and I honestly encourage other people to do the same," Collins said.
"Because at the end of the day, if we can't laugh at ourselves about things and take things lightheartedly, what the heck are we doing? I feel like so much gets taken out of context and fans think that they know players personally. They think that they know the ins and outs of what takes place on a daily basis, but the reality is that they really don't," Collins concluded.
After a couple of months of peace and quiet, another statement by Collins fueled the drama, though it was mostly the fans who took offense at her statement.
#3. Fans label Danielle Collins as "obsessed" with Iga Swiatek
Danielle Collins, along with several other players, was asked to conjure an ideal player with the best attributes from the current and former players on the tour in a promotional activity at the Charleston Open 2025. The American chose Iga Swiatek, also calling her a "friend". Given their history, fans felt she was obsessed with the Pole and just needed an excuse to bring her up in any context.
Their most recent meeting at the Italian Open went smoothly. It remains to be seen what happens during and after the upcoming Wimbledon showdown.
