Danielle Collins sure knows how to keep fans on their toes! Whether it’s her fierce presence on the court or her big career moves off of it, she’s never one to play by the book. Collins has always been a bit of a mystery, revealing just enough to keep everyone guessing. And now, in her classic fashion, she’s done it again—teasing us only with small hints about what made her reconsider her retirement plans.

The American tennis sensation has reached Spain and will represent Team USA for the Billie Jean King Cup, which is set to begin on November 13. Ahead of the tournament, Collins engaged in an interaction with the media and deliberated on a wide range of factors related to her plans for the tournament and her professional life in general. However, when quizzed about the factors that motivated her to take a U-turn from her retirement decision, the star player seemed to be unwilling to share much details. 

Speaking in the interview and responding to the question, Collins said, “I think I’ll have to look back on what I said in my social media post, but yeah, I obviously have spoken about, like, fertility stuff. It’s very personal.” She seemingly attempted to dodge the question as she quickly shifted her focus to deliberate on other aspects of the tournament. “We’re here this week with the team and focusing on being with the team and getting ready to play Billie Jean King Cup. It’s really exciting being on the team with some new girls, Ashlyn for the first time, and then with Captain Lindsay. I’m looking forward to a good week here,” Collins added. 

For the unversed, the star player announced her retirement at the end of the season in January this year, to grow her family. She also reiterated her stance on several occasions including at the Miami Open, where she clinched the title as well. “This is my last year, this is my last season, and these are some of my final events. I want to remember these moments,” Collins remarked. However, she decided to reconsider her plans in October sharing with the fans that her stint on the courts will not be over soon. 

Taking to her Instagram last month, Collins revealed, “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.” Continuing further, she added, “The DANIMAL story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025.” Collins highlighted that she has been taking medical advice for endometriosis and her treatment has motivated her to continue for some more time on the courts.

“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,” she shared earlier as she revealed the factor that decided her to reconsider her retirement plans. While Danielle Collins decided not to speak much about it once again, her decision has continued to remain surprising for many in the tennis community including former American star Coco Vandeweghe.

When Coco Vandeweghe shared her true reaction to Danielle Collins’ secretive side

Danielle Collins decided to re-think her retirement plans at a time when the entire tennis world was gearing up to give a warm farewell to the star player. While her announcement would have definitely elated her fans, it also drew surprising reactions from the tennis community, and one such person who was amazed to hear of the information was former-pro Coco Vandeweghe. 

Speaking in an interview with Tennis Channel’s Inside In Podcast, the 32-year-old said, she was in New Mexico for a charity event when she came across the news. “I was in New Mexico doing a charity event for this charity, it’s called first serve, and I was like ‘What in the world am I reading?’” However, she revealed that despite being surprised, it was not difficult for her to process given the nature of Collins to keep things away from public attention. “So yes, I was surprised and that’s her. I mean she keeps things under wraps.”

For now, it would be interesting to see if Danielle Collins’ return would be marked by the same aggression and fiery gameplay that she has depicted throughout the year. It will also be fascinating to see if the star player would give more details going ahead. about what motivated her to change her retirement plans.