The 2024 season will be Danielle Collins’ last on the WTA Tour, she said

On Thursday, shortly after losing to Iga Swiatek in a three-set thriller that lasted over three hours in the second round of the Australian Open, American Danielle Collins declared that the 2024 season would be her final year on the WTA Tour.

“This is going to be my last season of competing,” Collins, 30, told media at her post-match press conference. “I don’t really know exactly when, but this will be my last season and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Collins went professional in 2016 after a brilliant undergraduate career that included winning the 2014 NCAA singles title at Virginia. She quickly found success and progressively rose through the ranks.

Collins created a name for herself in the Australian Open in 2019, reaching the semifinals. She had never won a big match previous to that event, and as a result, she made her maiden appearance in the top 25. She won both of her professional WTA victories in summer 2021, in the Palermo Open and the Silicon Valley Classic.

Collins advanced to the final of the 2022 Australian Open, but lost to local favourite Ashleigh Barty. Collins quickly rose to his career high of No. 7.

Collins, known for her ferocious intensity and famous “Come on!” cries during matches, appeared to be on her way to defeating Swiatek until the world number one rallied back to take the final five games of the deciding set.

When questioned why she would retire from the sport despite still being competitive against the greatest players, Collins stated that she had other plans.

“I feel like I’ve had a pretty good career,” Collins explained. “There have undoubtedly been ups and downs, and I believe that travel and some of the variables away from the court, such as scheduling, make this a really difficult sport.

“I have other goals in my life that I’d like to achieve outside of tennis, and I’d like to be able to… have the time to do so. “Obviously, having children is a high priority for me.”