‘Affected Me Very Personally’ – Danielle Collins Reveals Sickening Battle Alongside Endometriosis That She Was Forced to Endure

Danielle Collins is ‘looking over her shoulder’ this Wimbledon. The American tennis player, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2021, received an endometriosis diagnosis just two years later. Collins is going to retire by the end of this year, though not solely for health reasons. And as if two chronic inflammatory conditions were not enough for the professional athlete, Collins revealed another issue that has created a problem for her ahead of Wimbledon.

Remember Monica Seles being stabbed in the shoulder in Hamburg in 1992? She was just 19 when an obsessed Steffi Graf fan found his way to the courtside to her. Surprisingly at the same age, Emma Raducanu’s stalker got slammed with a 5-year restraining order for showing up at her house three times.

Stalking, it seems, has found Danielle Collins as well. In a recent conversation with The Telegraph, she revealed that another sickness created a problem with her Wimbledon participation. “It has affected me very personally. Social media does open up so many opportunities for us to connect with fans, at the same time it sometimes gives access to people who are really unwell and not in a great mental head space. It does make you a little more cautious and skeptical.” 

Further, she added, “I still to this day have a really hard time when I get boxed in large groups of people, I feel scared when fans come running at me, throw things, or touch me because of a few scary situations I’ve experienced.” 

Collins recently revealed graphic details about her encounters with stalkers, underscoring her ongoing concern for her safety. Although the 30-year-old tennis player didn’t go to the police with it, the WTA did handle matters internally.

Collins also underlined how many athletes have similar concerns about their safety during competition, highlighting the critical and continuous problem of athlete safety in the realm of professional sports. She stated, “I don’t think it’s something that gets talked about a ton, but many of us have had security issues during our time playing on tour. I had a few different situations over the years. It’s never fun, the feeling of looking over your shoulder.”

In addition to worries about stalking, the American tennis player opened up about retiring because of her persistent struggles with rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis as she got ready to play in her final Wimbledon.

Danielle Collins’ long battle with endometriosis

At 30 years old, the American tennis professional is at the top of her career, ranked 11th on the WTA Tour and having won two big tournaments earlier this year, the Miami Open and the Credit One Charleston Open, but her retirement plans remain unchanged.

A few months ago, she stated, “Balancing two chronic inflammatory conditions when you’re a professional athlete is not an easy thing. I remember when I had my diagnosis with RA, at the time I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, is this the end of my career.'” However, after retirement, she wants to focus on other parts of her life, by focusing on creating a family after leaving tennis behind.

But to many, the reasoning is unthinkable, and while that has frustrated Collins, she told The Telegraph, “I think, for the most part, it comes from a good place, from people who want to see me play more good tennis. But I find it sometimes shocking…I’ve shared something incredibly vulnerable and then to have to deal with many tone-deaf people has been frustrating at times.”

Nevertheless, the American continues her fight both on and off the court. She plays tomorrow against Clara Tauson.