World number 9 Danielle Collins has postponed her plan to retire from tennis at the end of the 2024 season and play on the WTA Tour in 2025.
Collins, 30, has sought advice on her “personal fertility journey” since her last match, a defeat to Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico. The American, who planned her retirement around starting a family while managing her endometriosis, which can affect fertility, said in a statement on Instagram: “I recently visited a handful of specialists to better understand what my best path forward is. to realize my ultimate dream: starting a family.
“Dealing with endometriosis and fertility is a huge challenge for many women and something I am actively working on, but I have complete confidence in the team I work with. It’s just going to take longer than I thought.
“So the DANIMAL story has not yet reached a conclusion. I will be going on tour again in 2025,” she said.
After reaching the quarterfinals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where she retired with an abdominal injury against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Collins lost four straight matches in her comeback. After a surprise setback against compatriot Caroline Dolehide at the US Open, Collins said at a press conference that her life away from tennis was compromising her ability to execute on the court.
“I’ve honestly had so many distractions away from the court,” she said. “Just going through life’s challenges and dealing with them.”
Until that tough summer, Collins had been playing one of the best seasons of her career. She returned to the WTA top 10 and won fifteen straight matches between March and May, earning titles at the Miami and Charleston Opens. But that too brought conflict, as she repeatedly fended off questions about why she would retire when she was playing so well.
“I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done and the opportunities and the doors it’s opened, but it’s not easy and I’m a homebody,” she said. The Athletics in Miami in March, before winning that title against then world number 4 Elena Rybakina.
For now, she is back playing tennis. Collins is currently on the U.S. roster for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, which will take place November 13-20.
GO DEEPER
Danielle Collins is on fire. She will retire from tennis at the end of the year anyway.
Analysis: How will Collins handle her unexpected return?
Analysis from tennis writer Charlie Eccleshare
For those present at what appeared to be Collins’ final press conference at a Grand Slam, at the US Open in August, this news comes as a big surprise. At the time, Collins was exhausted, feeling unwell and seemed all set to retire from professional tennis. She ended by stopping and saying, “Yeah, sorry, I’m a little out of gas.” I got a little tired.”
A turnaround seemed unlikely at the time, but here we are, and Collins’ approach and results next year will be fascinating. Her excellent form in early 2024 seemed to have been inspired in part by the liberation of knowing she wouldn’t be doing this for much longer. Will she be re-energized next year by doing something she thought would be in her past, or would she struggle with motivation after already making peace with retirement?
Most importantly, the “fertility journey” that Collins referred to in her social media post. A challenge that so many women face, Collins’ openness will inspire many people, and everyone in the tennis world and beyond will hope that she can stay healthy and find the motivation and energy that fueled her on that sad Tuesday in New York. left behind. this year.
(Top photo: Shi Tang / Getty Images)