Danielle Collins said Thursday she will return to the WTA Tour next year, a decision that comes nine months after she announced she would retire at the end of the 2024 season.
In an Instagram post Thursday, the world No. 9 said explained how her ongoing challenges with endometriosis, an ailment that affects the uterus, influenced her decision to prolong her career, noting “things have not gone to plan.”
Collins, 30, had previously said she wanted to retire so she could have children.
“In addition to managing some lingering health challenges the past few months, I’ve recently been seeing a handful of specialists to better understand what my best path forward is to achieve my ultimate dream, starting a family,” Collins wrote. “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.
“So, the DANIMAL story has not reached its conclusion. I will be back on tour in 2025.”
After losing a three-set marathon to Iga Swiatek in the second round of the Australian Open in January, Collins told reporters the 2024 season would be her final one .
While she remained steadfast throughout the year about her decision despite repeated questions about her future, she played some of the best tennis of her career in the subsequent months. In March, Collins won the biggest title of her career at the 1000-level Miami Open. She followed it up by winning at Charleston the following week.
When speaking to ESPN ahead of the French Open in May, Collins said she was grateful to be able to leave the game while on top.
“I want to go out really playing on a high level, and I want people to remember me for the tennis that I was playing,” she said. “Some players are almost forced into retirement, due to an injury and then falling out of the top 100, and that defines the end of their career. This has been really empowering in the way that I’ve been able to make the decision to retire on my own terms and have the ability to choose. I could choose to continue to play, but I’m choosing to retire.”
She had publicly stated her desire to make her first Olympic team in her farewell season and did just that thanks to her surge in the rankings after the back-to-back victories. However, while in Paris, she suffered heat stroke and strained her abdomen and lost in the quarterfinals. She has played in only three tournaments since, including a first-round exit at the US Open.
Collins then declined an on-court ceremony there celebrating her career, in what is often customary for American players participating in their final US Open. She later told reporters she didn’t want to have “an all-about-me moment” and preferred to do something in private.
She also was unsure at the time if she would be able to compete the rest of the season but ultimately played in Guadalajara in September, losing in the first round. She has not played since.
It was previously believed Collins would officially end her career at next month’s Billie Jean King Cup as part of the U.S. team. On Thursday, a news release said Collins would be part of the year-opening mixed gender United Cup in Australia.
Collins expressed excitement about returning to the tour at the end of her social media post.
“While there are no guarantees in life, I hope to build on my 2024 momentum and keep playing until there is more certainty around my personal fertility journey,” she wrote. “The only guarantee for now will be some more epic matches.”