"Had a heat stroke; Nearly collapsed" - Danielle Collins opens up on "brutal" Paris Olympics conditions as run ends in controversy against Iga Swiatek

Danielle Collins crashed out of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday, July 31. Following her dramatic exit against Iga Swiatek in singles, she also faced defeat in her women’s doubles match.

Collins, who is set to retire this season, was competing in her first and final Olympic event in the French capital. She contested singles and women’s doubles alongside compatriot Desirae Krawczyk. However, the American, as per her own admission, didn't have the most pleasant time during her campaign.

In singles, Danielle Collins prevailed against Laura Siegemund (6-3, 2-0 (ret.)), Caroline Wozniacki (6-3, 3-6, 6-3) and Camila Osorio (6-0, 4-6, 6-3) to set up a quarterfinal clash with Iga Swiatek.

During her match against Wozniacki on Monday, the 2022 Australian runner-up argued with the chair umpire over not being provided drinking water.

"I’ve asked kindly can you please help me get some water. We have 60 seconds on this changeover. Can you please help me get water? Thank you," she was reportedly heard saying.

After her defeat to Iga Swiatek, Danielle Collins revealed she suffered a “heat stroke” during her third-round match against Osorio on Tuesday.

It should be noted that the extreme weather policy, too, was in effect that day on, due to rising temperatures. The policy allows players a 10-minute break between the second and third sets.

"I had a heat stroke. Nearly collapsed when I came off court, and I was on a medical table for three hours," Danielle Collins told reporters after her quarterfinal.

Despite the two-hour and 13-minute battle, Collins took the court for her doubles match with Krawczyk, beating Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Despina Papamichail later the same day.

"I wasn’t able to receive cool water during the entire match. Didn’t have insulated bottles. I overheated, having full body convulsions and somehow played doubles," she said.

Collins reportedly suffered an abdominal injury as a result, which was aggravated during her match against Iga Swiatek, where she retired with a 6-1, 2-6, 4-1 (ret.) scoreline in the Pole’s favor.

"The conditions here have been brutal. And I suffered the consequences of that last night and today," she said about her defeat to Swiatek.

Hours later, Danielle Collins and Desirae Krawczyk competed in their second-round doubles match. The American pair came up short against Ukraine’s Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.

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"I told Iga Swiatek she didn't have to be insincere about my injury" – Danielle Collins on her Paris Olympics singles retirement

Danielle Collins (L) pictured with Iga Swiatek at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 - Source: Getty

Danielle Collins was unimpressed by Iga Swiatek’s behavior during their Paris Olympics quarterfinal. At one point during the match, she confronted the Pole for delaying her serve.

"There’s like no one behind me. Play at the server's pace," she said when Swiatek halted the play due to disturbance in the crowd.

Tensions escalated when Iga Swiatek took an extended bathroom break after losing the second set. In the first game of the third set, she also suffered a blow to her rib from a backhand shot by Collins. The World No. 1, though, kept her focus to gain a two-break advantage (3-0).

Moments later, Danielle Collins called for a medical timeout for her abdominal discomfort and retired after the next game. She was, however, seemingly unhappy with Iga Swiatek's concern about her injury.

Shedding light on the controversial exchange that followed, Collins said:

"I told Iga she didn’t have to be insincere about my injury. There’s a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma and come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room," she said.

Swiatek has a 7-1 lead in their head-to-head record. The Pole, who is chasing her first Olympic gold medal at Stade Roland-Garros, next faces China’s Zheng Qinwen for a spot in the final.