Even the most invincible titans of tennis can sometimes face an adversary unlike any other. The former World No. 1, Andy Roddick, also falls in that category. And Danielle Collins, who herself has undergone such silent struggles in her career, has Roddick’s back. Through her Instagram post, Collins made sure that Roddick’s struggles don’t go unnoticed and are acknowledged by all of us.

Recently, the former tennis pro, Andy Roddick, revealed his battle with skin cancer during his podcast called “Served”. And Danielle Collins shared that video on her Instagram story. In the clip, addressing his skin, which was heavily inflamed and had turned red, Roddick stated, “I had a weird morning this morning, so I’m going to kind of do a general PSA right now. Further explaining his PSA test, which is a prostate cancer screening test, he added, “I’ve dealt with various types of skin cancer since I stopped playing.” 

While this confession video made its rounds on the internet, it caught the eyes of the Miami Open champion, Danielle Collins. And Collins knows very well about the unintended consequences of a tennis career. This is because she herself has gone through a series of diseases over the past few years. It involves an autoimmune disease called Rheumatoid Arthritis and also another one named endometriosis.

She has even undergone emergency surgery to remove a cyst that caused her pain in the past. And after enduring these painful conditions for years, she made the bold decision to retire from tennis after this season. Therefore, when it comes to understanding and supporting players who have gone through various physical challenges of their own, she never takes a step back.

However, coming to Andy Roddick’s condition, he has also had his share of challenges since he retired in 2012. The 41-year-old player further revealed how he suffered from lip cancer as well.

“It stinks, “ Andy Roddick says, recalling his lip cancer struggles

The former U.S. Open champion of 2003 has battled every challenge on-court with grace. However, amid the smiles and celebration, Roddick revealed how his journey after his retirement has not been kind to him. Especially after he suffered from lip cancer a few years ago.“I had a squamous cell tumor taken out of my lip, probably like five or six years ago”.

Further addressing his audience on YouTube, he said, “I haven’t ever talked about it. This morning we went into this face laser thing. That’s why for those of you watching on YouTube, it looks like I got in a fight.”

However, after confessing how “it stinks” Roddick brought back his usual humor to the podcast, saying he would do a “hatchet job” for the rest of his life. Although he ended it on a lighter note, his heartfelt admission resonated with fans worldwide. Further, with Danielle Collins posting it on her social media it became more than just a confession but a wake up call to all.