"Those first 12 days were pretty ho-hum — blowouts, walkovers, retirements" - Danielle Collins reviews Australian Open while requesting for more privacy among players

Like most tennis fans, Danielle Collins was closely following the Australian Open with the best players in the world attempting to kick off 2026 with a positive result. She commented her opinions and thoughts surrounding the event on The Big T Podcast, touching on controversial moments as well as the big climaxes in each tournament.

She began by praising the endings to both competitions, not hugely impressed with the opening rounds. "Honestly, the tennis gods really rewarded us over the final three days. Those first 12 days were pretty ho-hum — blowouts, walkovers, retirements — but the finish completely made up for it."

She was especially impressed with the brilliance of Elena Rybakina, who continued her fine form against Sabalenka in big finals to take home a second Grand Slam title. "I watched that match live, courtside, and honestly there was no ball left unharmed. Both of them hit such a huge ball, but Rybakina’s serving in the final was on another level. I hadn’t seen her serve that cleanly all tournament. She was lights out."

While it is more Grand Slam misery, Collins was still very impressed with Sabalenka's showing Down Under, but says she needs to fix the ending to her tournaments. "She’s been the best player for the first 11 or 12 days of so many majors. She’s almost always in the semis. But she hasn’t always played her best tennis at the very end, and she’s lost some leads. Honestly, she could easily have seven or eight majors by now instead of four."

There has been a lot of discourse on the possibility of women playing best-of-five matches in Grand Slam events, emulating the men. Many players have come out, not just now but in the past, to share their disagreement with this view.

Collins is also not on board with the idea put forward by Craig Tiley. "I completely disagree with that. I think we should do away with best-of-five altogether. The whole year we play best-of-three, and then suddenly at the slams it changes. It doesn’t make sense to me. The matches are already physically brutal."

Former American tennis player Brad Gilbert played devils advocate in this argument, questioning whether more epic matches would make it more entertaining. "When it’s epic, yes — but when it’s a blowout, it’s just long and boring," Collins argued. "People remember the great matches, but no one wants to sit through a one-sided three-out-of-five early in a tournament."

A highlight of the Australian Open was Coco Gauff smashing her racket after a dreadful performance against Elina Svitolina. Purposely, she waited until not on the court, finding a quiet hidden place backstage before giving her racket a walloping, letting out some much-needed steam,

However, this was seen on camera and broadcasted around the world, a very viral moment on social media. A lot of players came out on Gauff's side, debating whether players deserve more privacy and space to themselves.

"It’s a huge privacy issue," she noted. "Players need a space to step away, process emotions, and not feel watched every second. No other sport gives this level of behind-the-scenes access. If you break a racket on court, fair enough — but Coco went behind a wall, away from everyone. That should be private."

Collins has been through similar situation before, with her feeling some sympathy with the 21-year-old. However, hers was not broadcasted to the world. "Yes. Absolutely. And I’m very glad none of it was televised for my own mental health."

Nevertheless, this was not the thing which irked Collins the most during the tournament. "What bothered me way more was journalists asking players political questions in the press room," she admitted. "This is a tennis tournament. Those credentials should be revoked. It’s completely inappropriate. Players aren’t politicians, and we shouldn’t be forced to answer questions we’re not qualified or comfortable answering."

Moving over to the men's tournament, Carlos Alcaraz completed history by ticking off the final Grand Slam needed while becoming the youngest player in history to win the career Grand Slam at just 22 years old. It did not come easy for him, overcoming cramps before recovering from a break deficit late on against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals before fighting bast 10-time champion Novak Djokovic to clinch the title in remarkable fashion.

Collins had huge admiration for the Spaniard. "His ability to manage himself. He was cramping, hurting, and still found a way to stay afloat in that fifth set. Down 3–1, 4–2, he put pressure back on Zverev and made him blink. That’s genius-level match management."

Zverev was very unhappy with the medical timeout Alcaraz was afforded in a contentious decision. "If you’re trying to make a Grand Slam final, you’re going to use everything within the rules," Collins said. "The trainer is in a terrible position. If a player says it’s an adductor or knee, the trainer can’t just say, 'No, you’re lying.' I don’t fault Carlos for using every option available."

She finished up talking about the seven-time Grand Slam champion by labelling him as a 'star.' "His energy, how he brings in the crowd, how people want it for him — it’s infectious. Watching that live was unbelievable."

Jessica Pegula made it the furthest out of all the American tennis players in the WTA event, defeating two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova who is looking to continue her sublime form from the prior year. "I think Amanda is in a totally different position this year compared to last year. She had an incredible season last year and made two Grand Slam finals, but I don’t think it’s easy to recover after losing in two finals," Collins stated.

"I know how hard that can be to sit with, especially when you’ve had real opportunities. Even though she rebounded well after Wimbledon and had a strong US Open, losing a Grand Slam final takes a lot out of you mentally. Now it’s about not just matching the level she had last year, but taking the next step — and that’s a big step forward."

The pressure may be getting to her with more eyes constantly fixated on the 24-year-old. "Absolutely. When you’re no longer under the radar, it’s a whole different experience. Now there are expectations — people are asking, 'Can you win?' That pressure changes how freely you play. It didn’t look like she had quite the same freedom she played with last year, and that’s totally understandable."

Gilbert compared this to the rise of Emma Navarro a couple of years ago, with her unable to regularly compete at the top. "I agree. Once expectations come in, it’s no longer just about having a great run — it’s about backing it up," Collins voiced. "And when you’re playing against players like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula — all top-10 players and all Grand Slam contenders — that’s a huge amount of pressure to compete with week in and week out."

Moving back to Pegula, Collins was impressed with her consistency. "She’s consistently right there, but at that level, sometimes it’s about timing, confidence, and a few key moments going your way." She also had to mention 18-year-old Iva Jovic who reached the quarter-finals. "Absolutely — that was a great run and really exciting to see."

In conclusion, it was a solid tournament for the American women. "Once you’re established, it’s not just about playing well — it’s about handling expectations, pressure, and continuing to evolve. That’s the hardest part."