“Took in the new year with Ons Jabeur and her husband last year” – Danielle Collins on her bond with Tunisian ahead of Charleston Open 2R clash

At the Charleston Open, Danielle Collins is set to face Ons Jabeur in the second round.

The American easily defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa on Tuesday, April 2 to secure a spot in the second round of the WTA 500 event.

Collins once again displayed her exceptional performance against Badosa, managing to break the latter five times and serve eight aces in the first round. She secured a 6-1, 6-4 win, marking her second triumph over Badosa, as she had previously defeated the Spaniard in the quarterfinals of the San Diego Open two years ago.

Collins is set to meet with defending champion and second seed Ons Jabeur next, and the two share a friendly relationship off the court. During her on-court interview on Tuesday, the American mentioned celebrating the New Year with Jabeur and her husband Karim Kamoun.

“Ons & I have had great memories on and off court. Took in the new year with her and her husband last year, so that was pretty fun,”she said.

The winner of the Miami Open also stated that Jabeur would receive greater support at the Charleston Open. However, the audience present immediately corrected Collins, proving her statement to be incorrect. Collins remarked:

“She’ll definitely be the fan favorite and I’m going to come out here and… I mean coming out here and having such great support for all of the athletes, this is all of our favorite event.

“But you know, everybody loves Ons and she has a huge fan base, there’s no denying that so it’s gonna be a tough match. We’ve played some incredible battles and obviously I’m familiar with her game but I need to recover, prepare, and just get myself ready,”she added.

Danielle Collins Holds Slight Edge in Head-to-Head Record Against Ons Jabeur

Danielle Collins and Ons Jabeur after a match

Danielle Collins and Ons Jabeur have faced off three times in their careers, with Collins currently holding a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head record.

Collins and Jabeur faced off in the fourth round of the 2020 French Open, with Collins ultimately defeating Jabeur in a hard-fought three-set match by a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

In the third round of the 2021 BNP Paribas Open, Jabeur emerged as the victor in their second match with a score of 6-1, 6-3. However, in the fourth round of the 2022 Miami Open, Danielle Collins regained her lead in their head-to-head matches by defeating Jabeur 6-2, 6-4.