Danielle Collins slaps back at retirement talk after 'a dream come true'

If one is going to retire then one should hope to go out the way Danielle Collins seems bent on going out. She had never won a Masters 1000 before this past weekend, but now she can put the Miami Open trophy on a shelf somewhere after she defeated Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the final. The win also lifted Collins to No. 22 on the WTA tour, her highest ranking since early in 2023.

But if nothing else, when Collins makes her mind up about something, she sticks with it. She announced her retirement from the sport in January and made clear 2024 was her last year. Collins suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis. Both conditions can be debilitating to anyone, but to a professional athlete who plays a sport that requires maximum conditioning, either condition, of which Collins has both, could make a person decide to retire.

But does winning potentially change one's mind, especially if the winning includes doing so at a level the person has never reached? Collins has normally been ranked lower than her current No. 22 - 2022 was her best year and reached a peak of No. 7 - and she had only won two titles prior to being victorious in Miami. One title was at a 250 event and one was at a 500 tournament, but nothing close to the Masters 1000 Miami Open.

Danielle Collins is not wavering about retirement

Collins was asked in her post-match press conference if she was reconsidering retirement due to her recent success. Some players may have fumbled the answer and implied maybe they would keep playing. A taste of winning at a high level can change a person's perspective. But no Collins.

She ended any possible discussion that she might keep going into 2025. Collins said in response to reconsidering retirement, "I mean, what a dream come true to have played at the level that I have played consistently over the last two weeks. This has been such a journey for me...(but) no, I'm not (thinking of still playing into next year). Thank you, though. I feel like all of these questions are coming from such a good place, because I feel like a lot of people would like to continue seeing me play well.

"But like I said, I have some health challenges, and with those health challenges, it makes things for me away from the court a little more difficult. I hope everyone can respect that. It's a very emotional and personal thing."

Good for her. One has to have a lot of strength to stay committed to ending a career in which they might just be reaching the best that they could do. But her reasons are her own and they are sound. We might all wish we had the same drive to see our goals through.

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