Danielle Collins has slammed ‘keyboard warriors’ for lacking empathy for her ongoing injury struggles. The American screamed in pain during her Cincinnati Open defeat against Taylor Townsend.

Collins lost in straight sets in her final preparation ahead of the US Open. In the second-set tiebreak, she turned around and yelled at her coaching box. Not all of the 31-year-old’s words were audible, but she seemed to say: “Why is this happening to me?”

Tears streamed down Collins’ face as she left the court following the match. She left without collecting her equipment. Instead, Townsend picked up her opponent’s bag and returned it to her team in a classy gesture.

Collins has now hit out at some tennis fans, writing on Instagram: “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.”

Arthritis and endometriosis have impacted Collins’ performances during her career. Her latest setback comes at a hugely frustrating time, having enjoyed a successful 2024. Collins won the Miami Open last year but has now fallen to No. 57 in the WTA world rankings.

Endometriosis had prompted Collins to U-turn on her plans to retire at the end of last year. She claimed that tennis had provided a positive distraction from her off-court health struggles.

The former world No. 7 said: “I think right now my career is a really good distraction from everything else that is going on. It’s bittersweet and I’m excited to be able to continue playing but also hoping the next chapter can come sooner rather than later.

“It certainly has been so encouraging hearing all of these positive words from these people in tennis and a lot of the girls I compete against, they have become a huge support system to me over the last couple of months, and when I have had challenging times previously."

It remains to be seen whether Collins will play at the US Open. Her career-best Grand Slam result is the quarter-final of the 2020 French Open.