A year ago, the American tennis player had taken an indefinite leave from tennis following surgery for endometriosis. Two months later, she was back on the court, and this year, she is on her way to the Australian Open semis with her 7-5 6-1 win over Alize Cornet from France.
She is set to face Iga Swiatek from Poland. Swiatek is coming from her 2020 French Open win and is aiming for her second Grand Slam title.
After her win, Collins said, “It feels incredible, especially after some of the health challenges I’ve had,” said Collins, who lost to eventual runner-up Petra Kvitova in the 2019 semi-finals.
“Once I was able to get the proper diagnosis and the surgery, I feel like it’s helped me so much - not just from a physical standpoint but from a mental standpoint.
“When you’re dealing with that type of physical pain multiple weeks out of the month, you’re not putting yourself in a position to be able to perform consistently and to be at your best whether as an athlete or a person.
“To be able to compete with these women, it’s such an honor.”
She had been forced to step away from the sport due to Endometriosis. Speaking about it, she said that it was causing her, “too much physical agony.
After surgery, she now says that she has less painful periods and is able to train more consistently than she did before.