World No. 9 Daniel Collins has postponed his plans to retire from tennis after the 2024 season and plans to compete on the WTA Tour in 2025.
Collins, 30, has been receiving advice on her “personal fertility journey” since her last match, which she lost to Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico. The American woman, who had planned her retirement around starting a family while managing endometriosis, which can affect fertility, said in a statement posted on Instagram: Achieving my ultimate dream of 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 absolute confidence in the team I work with. It looks like it will take longer than I expected.
“So Danimal's story has not concluded yet. I intend to return to touring in 2025,” she said.
Collins reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and after withdrawing from her match against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek with an abdominal injury, she lost four straight in her return match. After her surprise upset of compatriot Caroline Dolehide at the US Open, Collins told a press conference that her life away from tennis was affecting her on-court performance.
“Honestly, there were a lot of distractions off the court,” she said. “It’s just experiencing life’s challenges and dealing with them.”
Until that tough summer, Collins had played one of the best seasons of his career, returning to the WTA top 10 and winning 15 matches from March to May, bringing him titles at the Miami Open and Charleston Open. . But this also brought suffering, as she repeatedly dodged questions about why she was retiring when she was playing so well.
“I love what I've done, I love the opportunities and the doors it's opened, but it's not easy. I tend to stay home,” she said. The Athletic She won the title in Miami in March against then-world No. 4 Elena Rybakina.
For now, she's back to tennis. Collins is currently on the U.S. squad for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which will be held in Malaga, Spain, from November 13-20.
even deeper
Daniel Collins is on fire. She plans to quit tennis at the end of the year anyway.
Analysis: How will Collins handle his unexpected return?
Analysis by tennis writer Charlie Eckleshare
The news came as a big surprise to those who attended what was believed to be Collins' final Grand Slam press conference at the US Open in August. At the time, Collins was exhausted, unwell, and seemed ready to say goodbye to professional tennis. She finally said, “Okay, sorry, I'm a little out of gas. I'm getting a little tired.”
A U-turn seemed unlikely at that point, but now that we're here, Collins' approach and results next year will be fascinating. Her great form in early 2024 seemed to be fueled in part by a sense of freedom in knowing it wouldn't last much longer. Will she find energy again next year to do the things she's been meaning to do in the past, or will she already be set on retiring and will have a hard time regaining motivation?
Most importantly, Collins referred to her “fertility journey” in a social media post. Collins' openness, a challenge that so many women face, will be an inspiration to many, and everyone, not just those in the tennis community, will be grateful to her for staying healthy and moving forward in New York. Hopefully he can regain some of the motivation and energy he left behind on that sad Tuesday. this year.
(Top photo: Shi Tang/Getty Images)
