Following her dominance in the Miami Open semifinals on Wednesday, Danielle Collins was questioned once more about her choice to retire this year. However, the American stated that there were many more reasons for her departure from tennis.
The former Australian Open runner-up declared in January that she intended to start a family and that she would be retiring from the game in 2024.
Collins was questioned if a string of victories could cause her to reconsider her choice after defeating Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to win five straight matches on the WTA Tour for the first time since 2022.
“I’m living with a chronic inflammatory disease that affects your ability to get pregnant,” said Collins, who revealed in 2019 that she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
“That’s a deeply personal situation. I’ve explained that from time to time.
“At the end of the day, this is my personal choice. This is so much more than just tennis and my career. I’m enjoying my career. I’m having a lot of fun.
“I love coming out here and competing. But this is a really big life decision and that should be pretty understandable.”
Collins, who will play Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the Miami final, wondered if a male player would repeatedly be asked to justify his decision to retire.
“I find it so interesting, because I felt like when I was announcing my retirement, everyone has been like congratulating me and (been) so excited for me,” the 30-year-old told reporters.
“But then on the other hand, I feel I’ve had to justify my decision a lot. I feel like if I was a guy, I probably wouldn’t have to justify it that much.”
