Tennis Star Accuses French Player of Flirting, Sparking Social Media Feud
An American tennis star has accused a French player of attempting to flirt with her during practice, only for him to issue a furious denial and launch a scathing attack on the cable network that aired her comments. The incident unfolded at the Miami Open, creating a dramatic off-court storyline that quickly escalated on social media platforms.
Network Interview Ignites Controversy
The controversy began when Tennis Channel interviewed Danielle Collins, with presenter Steve Weissman describing a recent interaction between Collins and France's Corentin Moutet at a practice court. Weissman told Collins that Moutet was "shouting at you, he was cat calling you," prompting the American player to share her version of events.
"I basically said to him," Collins began, "'If you're going to be flirting with me like that, you're going to have to get a bigger serve.'" She elaborated with a playful tone, adding, "Some people think it comes down to height, some people think it comes down to personality, but really what it comes down to is big forehands and big serves."
Social Media Explosion
The interview segment quickly went viral, with Tennis Channel themselves posting about "Storytime with Danielle" and joking that they "ship her and Moutet." However, the French player was not amused. Corentin Moutet took to X to express his outrage, directly targeting the network.
"Tennis Channel how can you let someone say BS like this on tv," Moutet demanded in his post. He went on to accuse Collins of fabricating stories for attention, writing, "You ready to say anything so people talks about you. You should learn how to love yourself so you won't have to do stupid things for people loves."
Height Preferences and Unfollowing Claims
Collins further fueled the controversy by claiming that Moutet had unfollowed her on social media after she revealed in a dating profile that she isn't interested in "short kings." The American player, who stands at 5-foot-10, explained, "It's just a preference. Nothing against the short kings. But he was upset about that and messaged me and then unfollowed me."
She added that Moutet had "slid back into the DMs last night asking me if I saw his match and all the big serves that he was hitting," but emphasized that he does not "have a chance yet" with a raised eyebrow expression.
Moutet's Forceful Rebuttal
Moutet vehemently denied Collins' claims about social media interactions. "How can I unfollow you when I never followed you?" he questioned on X. The French player, who is listed at 5-foot-11 and scheduled to face world No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the Round of 32, asserted that Collins had actually followed him and asked to play mixed doubles together.
"I've never even followed you," Moutet insisted, before delivering a sarcastic parting shot at the network: "Tennis Channel, good sport journalist."
Personal Context and Background
Collins is currently sidelined from competition due to a back injury and has yet to play this season. In November, she revealed her breakup with boyfriend Bryan Kipp, a vice president of a biotech firm, by posting a dating profile online that gained significant attention.
In that profile, Collins wrote about wanting to "raise my chickens, do home projects, make freshly baked sourdough, be a stay at home dog mom, and hopefully pop out some babies soon." She included the pointed statement: "If you're going to lie about your height just leave me the f*** alone. This is a no short kings zone."
The clash between Collins and Moutet has created unexpected drama at the Miami Open, shifting attention from on-court action to personal interactions and social media exchanges. Both players have taken firm positions, with Collins maintaining her playful accusations and Moutet delivering angry denials while criticizing media coverage of the incident.
