Danielle Collins (53rd in the world) will play the semi-finals of the Miami Open for the second time on the night of Thursday and Friday, against Ekaterina Alexandrova. The first was six years ago and she was coming out of qualifying. Collins was the first to achieve this feat in the history of the tournament. Since then, the American has made her way on the circuit. If she didn’t only make friends in the locker room because of her strong character, there’s a good chance that she won’t like it. The important thing is the results. “It’s an individual sport and there is no room for camaraderie,” she explains.
When it comes to prize lists, the results were not necessarily up to par with, for the moment, only two titles in 2021 (Palermo and San Jose). The following year, then 30th in the world, she reached the final of the Australian Open (beaten by the Australian Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 7-6 [2]). Also in 2022, she reached seventh in the world and became American number 1. Since then, not much.
A cyst the size of a tennis ball
It must be said that life on the circuit was complicated for the Floridian. Chronic illnesses quickly ruined his life. First there was rheumatoid arthritis, diagnosed in 2019, which causes him recurrent joint pain. And then, above all, this endometriosis which is ruining his life. This chronic disease linked to menstrual cycles is difficult to reconcile with the life of a high-level athlete as it causes violent pain and leaves the body without energy. It also attacks the uterus.
In 2021, Collins required emergency surgery to have a tennis ball-sized cyst removed. “Without this operation, I would not have been able to continue living my life like this,” she confided then. I experienced such agony during my period… I had never suffered so much. »
Collins coped and managed to revive his career. “I don’t think people who aren’t fully involved in high-performance sport can understand how resilient we are. Our ability to bounce back, whether it’s a losing match, an injury, or even the loss of a loved one. Yes, professional athletes really have a different mindset,” she explains.
“I don’t have to justify the fact that I want to stop playing at the end of the season”
But tennis isn’t everything. It must be said that Collins became a professional late in life, in 2016, at the age of 23. “I wouldn’t have been happy if I had turned professional at 18. I wasn’t mature enough. I wanted to study. » With journalism and business diplomas in hand, she decided to concentrate on tennis. But, at 30, she now wants something else. Playing golf, spending time with her partner, taking care of her dog Quincy who follows her everywhere. With the good results she reaped in her farewell tour, the question of extending it a little inevitably arose.
For others, but not for her. “I don’t have to justify the fact that I want to stop playing at the end of the season. I have a chronic illness that affects my ability to become pregnant. Quitting is an intimate and personal decision. It’s my choice. I loved my career, I had fun in it. I liked the competition. But it’s my choice to stop. » In the meantime, his dry strikes and his determination to win will still visit a few courts.
