(Reuters) - Danielle Collins again faced questions about her decision to retire this year after she powered into the Miami Open semi-finals on Wednesday but the American said her reasons for leaving the sport were about much more than tennis.
The former Australian Open runner-up announced in January she would be quitting the sport in 2024 and that she hoped to start a family.
After scoring a 6-3 6-2 victory over Caroline Garcia on Thursday to win five consecutive matches on the WTA Tour for the first time since the 2022, Collins was asked whether a run of good results could make her rethink her decision.
"I'm living with a chronic inflammatory disease that affects your ability to get pregnant," said Collins, who revealed in 2019 that she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
"That's a deeply personal situation. I've explained that from time to time.
"At the end of the day, this is my personal choice. This is so much more than just tennis and my career. I'm enjoying my career. I'm having a lot of fun.
"I love coming out here and competing. But this is a really big life decision and that should be pretty understandable."
Collins, who will play Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the Miami final, wondered if a male player would repeatedly be asked to justify his decision to retire.
"I find it so interesting, because I felt like when I was announcing my retirement, everyone has been like congratulating me and (been) so excited for me," the 30-year-old told reporters.
"But then on the other hand, I feel I've had to justify my decision a lot. I feel like if I was a guy, I probably wouldn't have to justify it that much."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
