Danielle Collins has had to deal with all types of adversity during her playing career. Now that it’s nearly coming to an end the American says there is one type of adversity she can’t wait to get rid of: dealing with stalkers.
Though it doesn’t get talked about much in tennis circles, the sport has a long history with stalkers. There was Monica Seles’ infamous stabbing by a depraved fan in 1993, as well as a man who was handed a five-year restraining order for stalking Emma Raducanu and sending her unwanted gifts.
In another incident a man who had followed Serena Williams across several countries was arrested at Wimbledon when he tried to break into the grounds to get close to her.
“I don’t think it’s something that gets talked about a ton, but many of us have had security issues during our time playing on tour. I had a few different situations over the years. It’s never fun, the feeling of looking over your shoulder,” Collins told the Telegraph in an exclusive.
The American, who is playing her last Wimbledon in this her last season, says that she’s hesitant to be in large groups of fans and frequently relies on security to ensure her safety.
“Social media does open up so many opportunities for us to connect with fans, at the same time it sometimes gives access to people who are really unwell and not in a great mental head space,” Collins told the Telegraph. “It does make you a little more cautious and sceptical. I still to this day have a really hard time when I get boxed in large groups of people, I feel scared when fans come running at me, throw things or touch me because of a few scary situations I’ve experienced.”
