Danielle Collins is the queen of turnaround, most tennis fans will agree. Early last year, the American star announced that the 2024 season would be the final one of her tennis career. She had been suffering from endometriosis and wanted to focus on her personal life and start a family.
However, she never gave off final season vibes as she had one of the best years of her career, result-wise. She won a couple of titles, the Miami Open and the Charleston Open, along with a consistent showing in other tournaments. Eventually, she made a U-turn on her retirement decision and decided to continue playing this year.
The American star is preparing to step on the grass courts at Wimbledon for one last time in her career. Last year, she reached the pre-quarterfinal of the tournament before losing against Barbora Krejcikova. However, Collins’ best performance at Wimbledon has been a semifinal appearance in 2022, and she wants to better it this year. While announcing her comeback for this season, Collins revealed what brought her back to the court again.
Sharing a post on her official Instagram handle in October last year, Collins updated her fans about her wish to continue playing. It was in fact her fight against endometriosis, which is a fertility-related disease, that made her continue playing the sport. Collins wrote, “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. So, the DANIMAL story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025.”
Further, she went on to add, “While there are no guarantees in life, I hope to build on my 2024 momentum and keep playing until there is more certainty around my personal fertility journey. The only guarantee for now will be some more epic matches.”
Collins has been suffering from this condition for almost four years now. She also decided to have laparoscopic treatment for endometriosis after suffering from unbearable pain. “I’ve always had painful periods but I remember a couple of years ago being woken from my sleep and immediately needing to drive to the pharmacy to buy anti-inflammatories just to be able to get through the night,” she once said, describing her painful experience with endometriosis.
However, Collins has been able to get this far in her career due to her parents’ support. During an interview, she opened up about how her parents supported her to achieve greatness in her tennis career.
Danielle Collins’ parents’ massive contribution to her career
Every young tennis player needs the backing of someone to make it big in a tough sport like tennis. In the case of Collins, it was both her mother and father who made sacrifices so that Collins could pursue her dream. Thus, Collins couldn’t thank her parents enough for supporting her throughout her career.
Talking about the backing received from her mother and father, Collins revealed, “I think it shaped me so much, coming from a pretty humble beginning. I think it’s hard getting into tennis. Tennis is an expensive sport, and my parents did everything for me. They were working double jobs, extra hours to be able to afford this. And, you know, to be able to come out here and live out my dream- you know I was never a child prodigy, I had an unconventional route, but that hard work and perseverance is really made me into the person that I am.”
Collins will next be seen in action at the Wimbledon Championships, which will be her last appearance there. Can Collins have one last laugh before she calls time on her illustrious career? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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