Melbourne, January 18, 2024, The Europe Today: Former world number seven and Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins revealed her decision to retire from professional tennis after a closely contested second-round loss to world number one Iga Swiatek at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
The 30-year-old American, who had a 4-1 lead in the deciding set but ultimately fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to the four-time Grand Slam champion, expressed her retirement plans, citing a desire for a change in lifestyle. Collins, addressing reporters promptly after her match, stated, “This is going to be my last season, actually, competing. I don’t really know exactly when, but this will be my last season, and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Collins achieved her career-high ranking of seventh in the world in 2022, following a notable run at Melbourne Park where she defeated Swiatek in the semi-finals but lost to Ash Barty in the final. Her tennis journey also included reaching the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2019 and the quarter-finals of the French Open the following year.
Reflecting on her career, Collins acknowledged the challenges of professional tennis, emphasizing the demanding travel schedule. She expressed a desire to explore other aspects of life outside of tennis and prioritize family, stating, “I have other things that I’d kind of like to accomplish in my life outside of tennis, and would like to be able to, you know, have the time to be able to do that. Obviously, having kids is a big priority for me.”
Despite the loss to Swiatek, Collins expressed pride in her performance and conveyed a mature perspective on wins and losses. “I feel like I have kind of gotten to the point where obviously they matter, and, you know, my career means a lot to me, but at the end of the day, you either win or you lose, and that’s all there is to it,” she said. As Danielle Collins embarks on her final season, the tennis community acknowledges her contributions to the sport and wishes her well in her future endeavors.
