Few professional athletes have been as open about balancing a chronic condition with elite competition as Danielle Collins. The American tennis player has spent years managing rheumatoid arthritis while climbing to a career-high ranking of World No. 7 and winning four WTA singles titles. This article lays out verified medical facts about her condition, her career timeline, and what she has actually said about retirement — without the speculation that often surrounds her personal life.

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Career-high WTA singles ranking: World No. 7 ·
NCAA singles titles: 2 (2014, 2016) ·
WTA singles titles: 4 ·
Height: 5’10” (1.78 m) ·
Date of birth: December 13, 1993

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2019 (WTA)
  • Career-high ranking World No. 7 (WTA)
  • Won 4 WTA singles titles (WTA)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact date of her initial rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis
  • Whether she will retire in 2025 or 2026
  • Current relationship status with Bryan Kipp
3Timeline signal
  • 2019: Publicly revealed RA diagnosis (WTA)
  • 2021: Diagnosed with endometriosis (ABC News)
  • 2024: Discussed retirement plans publicly (ABC News)
4What’s next
  • Continues WTA Tour schedule in 2025
  • No official retirement announcement as of early 2025
  • Potential retirement by end of 2025 or 2026

Seven key facts about Danielle Collins at a glance — from her collegiate roots to her current standing on the WTA Tour.

Attribute Value
Full name Danielle Rose Collins
Date of birth December 13, 1993
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Career-high singles ranking No. 7
WTA singles titles 4
NCAA singles titles 2 (2014, 2016)
Collegiate university University of Virginia

What Condition Does Danielle Collins Have?

Danielle Collins rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis

Danielle Collins was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints, as reported by the WTA (governing body of women’s professional tennis) in October 2019. She was 25 years old and ranked World No. 33 at the time, having just reached the Australian Open semifinals earlier that year.

Collins’s medical team believed she had been experiencing symptoms for some time before the official diagnosis. Her primary care physician, Dr. Clifton Page, told the WTA that rheumatoid arthritis “is not a career-ending diagnosis for elite athletes” — a statement that proved accurate as Collins continued to compete at the highest level.

The upshot

Collins learned she had the same condition her grandmother lived with, according to the American Heart Association (cardiovascular health research authority). She began practicing on the court the very next day after her diagnosis — a decision that set the tone for how she would approach the disease throughout her career.

Symptoms and management in professional tennis

The American Heart Association described rheumatoid arthritis as a chronic inflammatory condition causing pain and swelling in the body’s joints. For a professional tennis player whose career depends on explosive movement, joint flexibility, and repetitive impact, that presents a unique challenge.

  • Collins demanded blood work after persistent symptoms and later consulted a rheumatologist to identify the cause (American Heart Association)
  • She began treatment immediately after diagnosis, as confirmed by the WTA
  • Collins also underwent surgery in 2021 to remove a tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst related to endometriosis, a separate condition she was diagnosed with that year (ABC News (major U.S. news network))
Bottom line: The trade-off: Collins has had to manage two chronic conditions simultaneously while maintaining a training and travel schedule that would test any athlete. That she reached a career-high ranking of World No. 7 three years after her RA diagnosis speaks to how aggressively she has managed her health.

What Is the Life Expectancy of Someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis prognosis and treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition with no known cure, but modern treatments have dramatically improved long-term outcomes. The American Heart Association notes that while RA can affect life expectancy — primarily through increased cardiovascular risk — the gap has narrowed significantly with early diagnosis and disease-modifying therapies.

  • RA patients have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, which can reduce life expectancy by 5-10 years in severe untreated cases, per population-level studies
  • Early and consistent treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) brings inflammation under control for most patients
  • Lifestyle factors — diet, exercise, stress management — play a meaningful role in symptom management
Why this matters

For an elite athlete like Collins, the prognosis is better than the population average because she has access to top-tier rheumatologists, physical therapists, and a support system that enables early intervention. The WTA noted that Collins became the second leading player diagnosed with RA in two seasons, after Caroline Wozniacki — suggesting professional tennis has a framework for managing the condition at the highest level.

How Danielle Collins manages her condition

Collins has not publicly detailed her specific medication regimen, but her continued performance at the elite level offers indirect evidence of effective disease control. After her diagnosis, she did not take a break from competition — she returned to practice the following day, per the American Heart Association.

Dr. Clifton Page, her primary care physician, told the WTA that the condition is manageable for athletes who stay on top of treatment. Collins has also spoken about the importance of listening to her body and adjusting her schedule when flare-ups occur.

Bottom line: Rheumatoid arthritis can shorten life expectancy when untreated, but modern therapies have transformed outcomes. For Collins, who has access to elite medical care and has shown the ability to compete at World No. 7 level post-diagnosis, the individual prognosis is far better than population-level averages suggest.

Is Danielle Collins Playing in 2026?

Danielle Collins retirement timeline

Collins has indicated that she plans to retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2025 season, according to ABC News. She cited her battles with rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis as factors in the decision, along with the physical toll of the WTA Tour.

The ABC News report also noted that Collins said the possibility of infertility due to endometriosis helped accelerate her retirement timeline. She underwent surgery in 2021 to remove a tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst — a procedure that brought the long-term stakes into sharper focus.

Danielle Collins Australian Open 2026

As of early 2025, no official retirement announcement has been made, and Collins continues to compete on the WTA Tour. The Australian Open typically takes place in January, and if Collins retires at the end of 2025, she would not participate in the 2026 edition. However, she has not confirmed an exact final tournament date.

Danielle Collins WTA schedule

Collins remains an active player on the WTA Tour in 2025. Her exact tournament schedule has not been publicly released for the full season, but she typically competes in Grand Slam events, WTA 1000 tournaments, and select smaller events. Fans tracking her final season should monitor the official WTA calendar for updates.

Bottom line: Collins has signaled 2025 as her final season, motivated by health concerns and family planning considerations. No official retirement date has been set, and she continues to play as of early 2025.

What Did Danielle Collins Say About Iga Swiatek?

Danielle Collins Iga Swiatek controversy explained

Collins made comments about World No. 1 Iga Swiatek following a match between the two players that generated significant discussion in the tennis community. The remarks were widely reported by tennis media outlets, though Collins has not issued an official apology or retraction.

The ABC News report on Collins’s retirement did not address the Swiatek comments directly, and the exact details of what was said remain a matter of media interpretation rather than confirmed statement from either player’s camp.

Reactions from the tennis community

The tennis community reacted with mixed responses. Some commentators interpreted Collins’s remarks as gamesmanship; others viewed them as a genuine expression of frustration. No formal disciplinary action was taken by the WTA, and the controversy has not affected Collins’s playing status.

The implication: This episode highlights the intensity of competition at the top of women’s tennis, where off-court remarks can generate as much attention as on-court performance. For Collins, it was a brief flashpoint in a season already defined by her impending retirement announcement.

Are Danielle Collins and Bryan Kipp Still Together?

Who is Bryan Kipp?

Bryan Kipp is a businessman and the founder of Kipp Enterprises, a company focused on commercial real estate and property management. He was romantically linked to Collins during a period when she made public comments about her dating preferences and standards.

Collins stated that she had a list of requirements for a potential partner, which she shared in interviews, and Kipp was identified as someone who met those criteria at the time. The relationship was not officially confirmed by either party through formal announcements.

Current relationship status

The current status of Collins’s relationship with Kipp is unconfirmed. Neither Collins nor Kipp has made a public statement about the relationship since the initial reports, and Collins has not addressed the topic in subsequent interviews. According to the ABC News retirement coverage, her focus remains on tennis and her health.

Bottom line: Bryan Kipp was reported to be Collins’s partner during a period when she discussed her dating criteria publicly. Their current relationship status is not officially confirmed, and Collins has not addressed it in recent health or retirement interviews.

Timeline: Danielle Collins Career and Health Milestones