Danielle Collins says her decision to postpone retirement due to fertility issues is “bittersweet”.
The former Australian Open finalist had intended to retire at the end of 2024 with plans to start a family but has decided she will tour in 2025 after her endometriosis prompted her to have a rethink.
Collins, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2021, revealed in January that she wanted this to be her final season on tour and had a brilliant first half of the year that saw her win back-to-back titles in Miami and Charleston.
“I think right now my career is a really good distraction from everything else that is going on,” said Collins on Sky Sports Tennis.
“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.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to stay out and keep competing on tour.”
Currently ranked 10th in the world, Collins has been absent from the tour recently amid health problems but eyebrows were raised when her name appeared in the US team for the United Cup in Australia, the opening event of the 2025 season.
“(There’s) definitely some mixed emotions and these past couple of weeks, going through all of those appointments and trying to work through all the information you get in that process, it’s been hard at times,” she added.
“When I was going through it I was also thinking: ‘How lucky am I to have the option to have a career to fall back on?’
“I couldn’t imagine not having gone through those appointments and understanding the challenges that might come along with this experience and not having my career.”
Collins last featured at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico where she was eliminated in the first round after a 3-6 3-6 loss to Olivia Gadecki.
Prior to that, the 30-year-old American was defeated in the first round of the US Open.
“Dealing with endometriosis and fertility is a massive challenge for many women and something that I am actively traversing, but I am fully confident in the team I am working with. It is just going to take longer than I thought,” Collins wrote on Instagram.
“While I was very excited and eager to wrap up my tennis career on a high note this year and jump headfirst into my next chapter of life, things have not gone as planned.
“In addition to managing some lingering health challenges the past few months, I’ve recently been seeing a handful of specialists to better understand what my best path forward is to achieve my ultimate dream, starting a family.
“So, the DANIMAL (her nickname) story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025.”
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is an incurable condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the womb, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
It affects one in 10 women and also impacts fertility making it difficult for women to conceive.
There is currently no cure for the condition but the tissue can be removed with surgery, however, there is no guarantee it won’t come back.
It is also as common in women as diabetes and according to the charity Endometriosis UK, around 1.5 million women and those assigned female at birth are currently living with the condition in the country.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
- WTA Finals Riyadh – (November 2-9)
- Belgrade Open – ATP 250 (November 3-9)
- Moselle Open, Metz – ATP 250 (November 3-9 – Cameron Norrie in action)
- Nitto ATP Finals, Turin – (November 10-17)
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