“I feel scared when fans come running at me because of a few scary situations”: Danielle Collins speaks out on security issues

Danielle Collins shared her experience with online stalkers and acknowledged having 'security issues,' adding that several players are concerned about their safety during tournaments.

The world No. 11 is preparing for her debut on Tuesday on Court 3 against Danish player Clara Tauson (No. 66), who has never passed the first round at Wimbledon with only two main draw appearance

Collins’ retirement is approaching after announcing that this will be her last professional season. This may have been one of her motivations in having a great year, securing her first WTA 1000 title at the Miami Open, while currently positioned 6th in the WTA Race to Riyadh, meaning she would be one of the players present at the WTA Finals.

Collins responded to an interview with the Telegraph amid her great season as she awaits her Wimbledon debut. The American No. 3 mentioned feeling concerned about her safety during tournaments, just like many other players: “I’m serious,” Collins told the Telegraph. “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.”

The former world No. 7 wanted to raise awareness about the risks of social media in terms of how people can connect with players. Additionally, Collins recounted some challenging situations off the court: "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 headspace,” Collins added.

"It does make you a little more cautious and skeptical. 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.

"I don’t really go many places by myself. I make sure I always have security on site, and it’s been something I think that has affected me very personally. For a long time, it was hard to be myself. Sometimes I would question myself and think, ‘What have I done to cause this person to believe that they can cross normal boundaries?’

"I’ve had to be very vigilant and cautious about how I conduct my life, to make sure I’m safe. I think sometimes that has come across to fans as being withdrawn, distant, but the reality is that sometimes I’ve had to be more careful about what I say and do because I don’t want certain people knowing where I am, what I’m doing, or patterns in my day-to-day life.

"That’s an important thing to highlight, because to other people it can be perceived as she doesn’t post often, or she’s not very friendly, she doesn’t interact with fans or other players. But it’s like, ‘No, I don’t seem to interact with other players because I don’t want someone who’s been stalking me to go through who I’m friends with and then calling them at work – because that’s happened.’”