Australia’s Destanee Aiava has announced she will retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2026 season, criticising the sport’s culture of racism, misogyny and homophobia in a statement posted on Instagram.
The 25-year-old, who has Samoan heritage and reached a career-high singles ranking of 147, said: “2026 will be my final year on tour playing professional tennis.” In the wide-ranging post, she described her relationship with the sport bluntly, writing: “tennis was [her] toxic boyfriend”.
Aiava said she was grateful for the opportunities tennis had given her, including friendships, travel and a public platform. However, she also detailed the personal toll it had taken. “It also took things from me. My relationship with my body. My health. My family. My self-worth.”
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“Would I do it all again?” she wrote. “I don’t know, but one thing this sport taught me is that there is always a chance to start fresh.”
In some of the strongest remarks, Aiava hit out at the abuse she has received, particularly online. “I want to say a ginormous f*** you to everyone in the tennis community who’s ever made me feel less than. […] F*** you to every single gambler who’s sent me hate or death threats.
“F*** you to the people who sit behind screens on social media, commenting on my body, my career, or whatever the f*** they want to nitpick,” she continued. “And f*** you to a sport that hides behind so-called class and gentlemanly values.”
She accused tennis of maintaining an exclusionary culture. “Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the mould,” she said.
Reflecting on her stage of life, Destanee Aiava added, “I’m 25, turning 26 this year, and I feel so far behind everyone else, like I’m starting from scratch. I’m also scared. But that’s better than living a life that’s misaligned, or being around constant comparison and losing yourself.”
“Life is not meant to be lived in misery and half-assed,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to be able to wake up every day and genuinely say that I love what I do, which I think everyone deserves a chance at.”
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