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“Size of a Tennis Ball” – Danielle Collins Reveals Heart-Wrenching Endometriosis Surgery Ahead of French Open 2021

Published 05/29/2021, 4:22 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

American World No.50 Danielle Collins is going to write an inspirational chapter in her career. Two months after her endometriosis surgery, she will return to court at the French Open 2021.

Endometriosis is a hard-to-diagnose condition where tissues similar to tissues inside a uterus start growing outside the uterus. It causes great pain and discomfort, which Collins has suffered since 2016.

USA Today via Reuters

However, following her loss in Miami in March this year, the 27-year-old American decided to undergo surgery. Subsequently, she withdrew from the entirety of the clay-court swing to become ready for Roland-Garros.

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Danielle Collins shares heart-wrenching recovery story

Primarily, Collins revealed that she said yes to surgery on her doctor’s resolution. But the only way to treat her excruciating endometriosis was through an invasive process.

Collins said, “My doctor was adamant. She said I would be ready for the French Open, but they had to tear through the abdominal muscles, so there was a lot of rehabbing involved.”

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USA Today via Reuters

Consequently, the American endured four different incisions in her abdominal/pelvic area and has a story to tell. Although her experience is heart-wrenching, it brought her much-needed comfort.

“They removed a cyst the size of a tennis ball from my ovary, as well as material from my bowel and bladder. But I’ve felt such relief since,” she shared.

Furthermore, she added that she has now become more physically consistent than she can remember. “No missed practices or workouts, no flu-like symptoms,” Collins said.

Painstakingly, Collins had many episodes with her condition over the years; she even collapsed on the tennis court twice in pain, unable to move.

But she is on the road to complete recovery and even spreading awareness about endometriosis. Indeed, she is a true athlete on tennis courts and in life.

Collins and Serena on a collision course at Roland-Garros 2021

On her return, Collins will face a qualifier, Xiyu Wang, in the first round. After that, she could meet Angelique Kerber in the second round and Serena Williams in the third.

“I have a bunch of different recovery tools, so the challenge is to get all this into two suitcases,” Collins said before leaving for Paris.

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Remarkably, all this has not affected her passion for tennis. Hence, she is looking forward to playing the sport for many more years.

“I know it might take me a bit of time to get back to consistent match-play, but I love the game, and I love the traveling. I want to have as long a career as I can,” Danielle concluded.

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Above all, tennis fans will be excited to see her energy back on the WTA tour. Hopefully, she will stay long at the Roland-Garros 2021. Best of luck, Collins!

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Written by:

Purav Joshi

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Purav Joshi is a Senior Tennis author at EssentiallySports. Having a degree in Films, Television and Media Production, he guided his passion for writing and journalism into the sport of aces and rallies. With over 2 years of experience as a copywriter, Purav has authored over 1000 tennis articles.
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