World No. 9 American star explains U-turn on retirement

World No. 9 Danielle Collins had intended to retire from tennis after the 2024 season with plans to start a family. However, the American star has changed her mind and will be back on the Tour in 2025.

Through an Instagram post, Collins noted that after dealing with hurricanes in her home state of Florida and seeing specialists about her endometriosis diagnosis, she's been forced to rethink her priorities. 

"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," she wrote. 

Collins, first diagnosed with endometriosis in 2021, acknowledged that "fertility" is a massive challenge" for many women but expressed confidence in achieving her goal of starting a family after another year as a pro athlete. 

"It [starting a family] 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. 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."

The 2022 Australian Open finalist concluded by thanking her fans and her support system for rooting for her "every step of the way."