WTA pro and former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins has been out of action since last playing at the 2025 US Open. In the meantime, Collins has turned her attention to commentating on various tennis-related broadcasting shows and to focusing on her health to regain her prime fitness levels.
On Monday night, Collins hosted a fun Q&A session on social media, answering multiple fan questions on a variety of topics. One follower in particular asked the former World No. 7 for her opinion on the situation in the USA right now amid the Donald Trump government’s crackdown on illegal immigration by ICE agents in different US states.
Collins pulled no punches sharing her thoughts, stating that it was ‘devastating’ for her to see the lack of compassion for other human beings and the injustice wreaked upon them.
“It’s been hard to find the right words or words at all… The lack of empathy so many people have towards those who may have been dealt a different set of cards in life has been really sad to see. I don’t understand why bad things continue to happen to good people, or why children have to get taken from their parents or watch their parents disappear,” Collins wrote.
“The lack of compassion and empathy for humanity that we keep seeing in these horrific videos is beyond devastating. My heart goes out to every single person facing injustice. I really hope and pray god will give back abundantly and tenfold to those who have lost loved ones or are living through displacement, and are able to find self-sovereignty after dealing with such traumatic events,” she added.
The American concluded:
“I also hope and pray that some of the people causing this type of pain and suffering can do some hard work inside the dark places of their hearts. 🤍🙏”
What Did Other American Tennis Players Have to Say About the Situation in the US at the Australian Open?
American tennis players like Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Madison Keys have all been asked the same question about the situation in their home nation at some point during the Australian Open. While some gave articulate replies, others balked at the question.
“I mean, not sure what we’re like specifically talking about, but there is a lot going on in the U.S., and I don’t know. I feel like whatever I say here is going to end up in a headline and get taken out of context. So, I’d really rather not do something that’s going to cause a big distraction for me in the middle of the tournament,” Fritz said in a post-game interview.
Meanwhile, Madison Keys said:
“My stance has been pretty obvious. I think it’s pretty obvious where I stand, and I am hopeful that we, as a country, can come together and return to the values that I think make our country great. I am not a fan of divisiveness, and I think the beauty of the U.S. is we are a mixing pot. We are very diverse. We are a home of immigrants. And I hope that we can get back to those values.”
Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova gave more neutral answers, maintaining that they did not want to comment on political matters.
“Yeah, that’s a tough question. I feel, you know, I don’t know. I don’t like to kind of dabble too much into politics, just because it’s just not the space that I really want to say that much on. But yeah, I just hope that everybody can kind of, at some point, come together and work together as far as situations or whether it’s political or not political in our country,” Pegula said in her post-game interview.
“[On representing the USA at the pro level] I don’t think that’s relevant,” Anisimova said in her post-game interview.
Coco Gauff was the first player to be asked this question at the Australian Open, and remains the only one to have fully engaged with it, offering a deep insight.
“At this point, I feel a bit fatigued talking about it just because it is hard being a black woman in this country and having to experience things, even online, and seeing marginalized communities being affected, and knowing that I can only donate and speak out. I try my best to do that. But I hope that as time continues, we can reach a state that we’re not currently in, and we keep moving forward,” Gauff said in her post-game interview.
As of now, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova and Ben Shelton are the last Americans remaining at the Australian Open in singles.
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