World No. 9 Danielle Collins has made a significant decision to delay her anticipated retirement from tennis, initially planned for the end of the 2024 season, opting instead to continue her career on the WTA Tour into 2025. At 30 years old, Collins has been navigating a complex “personal fertility journey” since her last match, which ended in a defeat to Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico.
The American tennis star, who had originally structured her retirement around the desire to start a family while managing her endometriosis—a condition known to affect fertility—shared her thoughts in a heartfelt statement on Instagram. She expressed, “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. 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 concluded her message with optimism, stating, “So, the DANIMAL story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025.”
Following her remarkable run to the quarterfinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she had to retire due to an abdominal injury against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Collins faced a tough comeback, losing four consecutive matches. A shocking defeat to compatriot Caroline Dolehide at the U.S. Open led Collins to reflect on the impact of her personal life on her performance on the court. “I have honestly just had so many distractions away from the court,” she admitted. “Just going through life’s challenges and coping with it.”
Before this challenging period, Collins enjoyed one of the best seasons of her career, achieving a return to the WTA top 10 and winning an impressive 15 matches in a row between March and May, which included titles at the Miami and Charleston Opens. However, this success also brought its own set of struggles, as she frequently faced inquiries about her decision to retire while performing so well. “I’ve loved what I’ve done and the opportunity and the doors it’s opened, but it’s not easy, and I am a homebody,” she shared with The Athletic in Miami in March, just before clinching the title against then-world No. 4 Elena Rybakina.
For now, Collins is back on the tennis scene, currently representing the U.S. in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals set to take place in Malaga, Spain, from November 13 to 20.
Analysis: The Future for Collins
Analysis from tennis writer Charlie Eccleshare
For those who attended what seemed to be Collins’ final news conference at a Grand Slam during the U.S. Open in August, this latest announcement comes as a surprising twist. At that time, Collins appeared exhausted, feeling unwell, and seemed fully prepared to bid farewell to professional tennis. She concluded her remarks by trailing off, stating, “Yeah, sorry, I’m a little bit out of gas. I got a little tired.”
A change of heart at that moment felt improbable, yet here we are. The trajectory of Collins’ approach and results in the upcoming year will be intriguing to observe. Her strong performance in early 2024 seemed partly fueled by the relief of knowing she had a finite timeline in tennis. The question now is whether she will feel revitalized by continuing a career she believed was nearing its end, or if she might struggle with motivation after having made peace with the idea of retirement.
What remains paramount is the “fertility journey” that Collins has referenced in her social media communications. It’s a challenge many women face, and her candidness about it is likely to inspire many. The entire tennis community and beyond will be eager to see Collins stay healthy and regain the motivation and energy that seemed to elude her during that somber Tuesday in New York earlier this year.
(Top photo: Shi Tang / Getty Images)