Danielle Collins Shocks Fans with a Retirement U-Turn—The Comeback is On! Just when fans had started preparing for her farewell, Collins decided she wasn’t ready to hang up her racket just yet, confirming she’ll continue competing into 2025. The news has sparked excitement across the tennis world, with Tracy Austin leading the cheer, celebrating Collins’ change of heart.

During a recent episode of the Tennis Channel Live podcast, Mark Petchey, Tracy Austin, and Paul Annacone dove into the latest shifts in the WTA rankings and discussed Danielle Collins’ surprising decision to continue her career into 2025. Reflecting on the unexpected announcement, Austin shared, “Yeah, very exciting news. Danielle let us know at the Australian Open that 2024 would be her last season because she is interested in starting a family.”

Further, she added, “She dealt with some physical issues, endometriosis, and she had an incredible year in 2024, breaking back in the top 10, winning in Miami, her home state, for her first WTA 1000. And then next week went from hardcourts to clay, won in Charleston there, 15 matches in a row in the spring, very exciting for her.”

Collins, affectionately known as ‘Danimal’ for her fierce and aggressive style of play, made waves as she dropped a message for her fans just a few days ago. She took to her Instagram account and wrote, “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. So, the Danimal story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025.”

Following that, Collins made an emotional disclosure to her fans about the health issues she has been dealing with lately, including receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis. She spoke candidly about how these difficulties had hampered her aspirations to have a family, which she had hoped would go more smoothly.

She stated, “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.” While Collins’ decision to prolong her career has surely delighted her admirers, it casts doubt on the post-retirement plans she had been considering for the end of the year. A few months back, she had first stated that she wanted to enter a new stage of life, concentrating on beginning a family and looking at opportunities outside of the tennis court.

Collins was ready to run a marathon by year-end

Danielle Collins spoke with the press at the Charleston tournament a few months ago, offering her ideas on what life will be like once the tennis season was over. With her characteristic enthusiasm, she revealed, “So I, yeah, took a nice short flight, got in here yesterday. I had a nice training session in the morning before I left, and I’m training for a marathon at the end of the year. So, fun fact for everyone.” 

Her tennis training provides her with not only the physical endurance but also the mental strength required to take on such a challenge. In a post-match interview at the Miami Open, Collins emphasized her dedication to starting a nonprofit that promotes women’s health in addition to her running goals.

Though her U-turn opens up a new chapter in her career, it is unclear how she will combine her love of tennis with her goal of changing lives off the court as she navigates these many paths. One thing is certain as supporters anxiously anticipate her next move: Collins is prepared to face anything that comes her way with the same ferocity that gave her the moniker “Danimal.”