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Danielle Collins (30) drops her racket and covers her face with her hands. The American tennis player can hardly believe it. With the fourth match point she wins the final of the Masters in Miami (USA). She wins 7:5, 6:3 against Elena Rybakina (24) and celebrates the greatest success of her career. A career that, despite the high achievements, ends this year.
During the Australian Open in January, Collins surprised with her announcement. After her second-round defeat to Iga Swiatek (22), she said: “I’m actually at the end of my career, so these kinds of defeats don’t hurt so much anymore.” And explained: “This will be my last season.”
Great success after diagnosis
The triumph in Miami does not change that. “No, I won’t think about that,” says Collins. There’s a good reason why she’s retiring in her early 30s. Collins wants to be a mother. However, health problems make this endeavor more difficult.
For years, she battled severe menstrual pain with anti-inflammatory medications, but to no avail. In February 2021, she collapsed in pain during a match and could only continue playing in tears. It wasn’t until a friend with similar symptoms was diagnosed with endometriosis that doctors made the same diagnosis for Collins. This is a painful disease in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterine cavity. In April 2021, a cyst the size of a tennis ball was removed from her ovaries, as well as other tissue from her bladder and intestines.
After taking almost two months off, Collins returned to the tour, freed from the mental and physical strain. And celebrated great successes in the following months. She won two tournaments – the only one besides the victory in Miami – and reached her only Grand Slam final to date at the 2022 Australian Open. In the summer, Collins achieved her best ranking in the world rankings at number 7.
Fighting two diseases
However, endometriosis affects her desire to have children. Women with this diagnosis find it difficult to become pregnant, especially as they get older. So she quit her job in her early thirties. Collins is annoyed that she has to justify herself. “I think if I were a man, I certainly wouldn’t have to do that.”
Collins is also battling another illness. In 2018, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She managed this inflammatory autoimmune disease with medications and diet.
Against this background, your achievements are even more impressive. Especially since Collins is a late bloomer. It wasn’t until she was 22 that she switched to the professional tour. Now her career is experiencing a temporary peak. And who knows what will happen in the last weeks and months of her life as a tennis professional. (beer)
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
