"It’s no surprise the keyboard warriors can't understand or relate" - Danielle Collins snaps back on social media after divulging injury

American tennis star Danielle Collins was defeated in the first round of the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati after succumbing 6-4, 7-5 to wildcard and fellow countrywoman Taylor Townsend. It is now just one win in five for Collins, who revealed an injury related to the defeat, whilst calling out 'keyboard warriors' on the hate she received on social media.

Collins started the game on the back foot, losing the first four games and finding herself with a large deficit in the first set. She attempted a fight back, but only got one of the two necessary breaks she needed to continue the set, with Townsend taking her first set point with no hesitation.

Collins rushed out of the blocks in the second set, winning the first seven points before taking her third break point to claim a two-leg cushion. This would be swiftly undone by Townsend, who would break back, and later, after failing to take a break point, took her second opportunity to go two games away. Collins broke back to level it 4-4, before they both held serve up until a tiebreak. Townsend asserted her dominance, coming out on top after successfully claiming five consecutive points to put her through to the next round.

Townsend is well known in doubles, having reached multiple Grand Slam finals, coming out on top at Wimbledon in 2024 before starting the year with success at the Australian Open. She recently became the number one-ranked doubles player. Following on from the singles success against Collins, she defeated the 16th seed Liudima Samsonova 6-2, 6-4 to put her through to the last 32, ahead of her doubles campaign starting.

As for Collins, this is another disappointing setback as she sets to continue to tumble down the rankings.

After her first-round defeat, she was forced to send a message via social media to respond to the hate she had recently received. She revealed that she has been dealing with a herniated disc, trying to find sympathy with people who deal with this pain on a daily basis. She followed this to acknowledge her opponent's win, claiming she was the 'best of the best', as well as thanking anyone who wished her a speedy recovery.

Collins had shouted to her box throughout the tie and left the court after the loss without her equipment in a very emotional state.

On Instagram, she wrote: “Anyone who has a herniated disc knows my pain. It’s no surprise the keyboard warriors can't understand or relate, as they've been too busy sitting on their asses judging people who show up and try to give it their best even on days that suck. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my injury and thank you to Taylor Townsend for being the best of the best."

Injuries have plagued her since a successful 2024 in which she won the Masters 1000 event in Miami. Her original plans to retire at the end of last year, as she cited plans to start a family, but she reversed the decision heading into 2025 while she continued to manage her health problems.

Unfortunately for the American, she has failed to replicate her form from the previous campaign, with failures to successfully defend titles having seen her ranking decline from a respectable 11th in the world to currently languishing outside the top 50 in 57th.

There is no confirmation whether the former Australian Open finalist will feature at her home Grand Slam event coming up in a few weeks, but the American will do all she can to play infront of her home fans for possibly the final time.