Chris Evert asks Danielle Collins the question all tennis fans want to know

Danielle Collins was seemingly always capable of doing great things on the WTA tour. She has a good serve and can hit with immense power from both wings. She struggled with consistency, however, and developing touch. But mostly she has recently suffered from having endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The pain of those conditions is daily for any person that has them, of course. But for a professional athlete who must not only be in peak form but also maintain focus, either condition can be a reason to discontinue playing sports. Losing because your body will not allow you to play your best is as defeating as having an opponent beat the person.

Because of her health, Collins stated in early 2024 that she won't play after this year. Some might have wondered if Collins was in part retiring because she was as frustrated with her results on the court as much as her medical issues. The American had only won two titles in her career, both in 2021, one was a 250 event and the other was a 500 tournament.

Chris Evert tweets a question to Danielle Collins that she already knew the answer to

But Collins played brilliantly through the Miami Open and appeared to be in better form than she ever had been before. She dropped only one set on her way to winning her first Masters 1000. Was her success enough to make her re-think about quitting professional tennis or might she carry on in an attempt to see how long she could sustain her level of play?

All-time tennis great Chris Evert already knew the answer to that last question, of course, but she still went to X/Twitter to tongue-in-cheek and ask Collins whether she might reconsider her plans. Evert wrote, "A big Hug and Congratulations to Danielle Collins in winning the (Miami Open). Spectacular play throughout the whole tournament….but….Are you really sure you want to retire?" This was followed by several emojis, three of which were wink emojis.

Evert knows that Danielle Collins is not changing her mind and that this will be her last year playing. At least she is going out in the proverbial blaze of glory. She might not win any tournaments after 2024, but she will at least have the memory of winning in Miami forever.

Collins shut down any discussion of whether she might come back in 2025 when she answered that question in her post-match press conference after her final win against Elena Rybakina. Collins said, "...no, I'm not (thinking of still playing into next year). I have some health challenges, and with those health challenges, it makes things for me away from the court a little more difficult. It's a very emotional and personal thing."

Read more from Lob and Smash