'Novak Djokovic shouldn't spoil it for players & fans' - Danielle Collins slams World No. 1

Novak Djokovic recently expressed reservations about participating in the US Open this year. The Serb said that it would be tough for him to bring along just one member of his coaching team as per USTA's new restrictions, and that he might even consider skipping the tournament altogether.

But former Australian Open semifinalist Danielle Collins has taken exception to Novak Djokovic's comments, and slammed the three-time US Open champion for his apparent lack of empathy for lower-ranked players.

Danielle Collins not a fan of Djokovic’s concerns about the US Open’s viability & COVID protocols pic.twitter.com/RzLiY61HjT

— Matthew Willis (@MattRacquet) June 10, 2020

This is a serious contradiction: Danielle Collins to Novak Djokovic

Danielle Collins

Collins wants Novak Djokovic to rethink his stance about the US Open, because she believes it contradicts his earlier attempts to help lower-ranked players.

"This is a serious contradiction to previous comments about having players inside the top 100 donate their money to players outside the Top 250," Danielle Collins said, referring to the Player Relief Fund.

As the President of the Players Council, Novak Djokovic had come up the idea of the Player Relief Fund, which seeks to provide financial assistance to players ranked outside the top 100. Collins, however, said that not playing the US Open would undo all the good work done by that initiative.

"No one has been able to play sanctioned events or make money since February. Here, we have an awesome opportunity with the US Open talking about proceeding forward with the event, with some strict safety precautions to make sure all players feel safe and their health is put first," 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 in his team will be too difficult because he won't be able to bring his whole entourage," the American added.

It's easy for Novak Djokovic to tell people what to do with their money: Danielle Collins

Danielle Collins didn't mice words in her takedown of Novak Djokovic's pessimistic stand on the COVID-inflicted situation. She pointed out how the Serb himself is financially secure and so can afford to skip tournaments, but the rest of the tour doesn't have that luxury.

"It is easy when someone's made $150 million throughout their career tries to tell people what to do with their money, and then turn down playing in the US Open," Collins said.

The American further emphasized how it would be in everyone's best interests if the tournament went ahead - as long as safety precautions are taken.

"If it's safe to play, and the USTA, WTA and ATP do everything in their ability to prioritize the health of players, I think we should support that," Collins said.

Collins ended her statement by making an impassioned plea about the need for lower-ranked players to start competing again. She also threw more shade at Novak Djokovic, saying that he shouldn't 'spoil it' for the players and fans.

Novak Djokovic

"For those of us who don't travel with an entourage, we actually need to start working again. It would be nice to have Novak Djokovic supporting this opportunity and not spoiling it for players and fans!" Collins said.

This is not the first time the Serb has had a fellow player veto his statements during the lockdown, with players like Dan Evans also having spoken out against him. A few weeks earlier, Marion Bartoli had slammed Novak Djokovic for prioritizing his personal feelings over the greater good of others.