Australian women’s tennis player Destanee Aiava announced Saturday that the 2026 season will be her last in a scathing statement about the sport posted on her social media.
Aiava, 25, described tennis as her “toxic boyfriend” in the statement posted on Instagram. She lamented being so young when she started, with her breakthrough coming when she was just 17.
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She wrote that tennis gave her some of her best friends and she was able to travel to places she only dreamed of. But she said the sport “took things from me,” including her relationship with her body, her family and her self-worth.
“I want to say a ginormous f— you to everyone in the tennis community who’s ever made me feel less than,” her statement continued. “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. And f— you to a sport that hides behind so-called class and gentlemanly values. Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit its mould.
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“Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half a–ed. My ultimate goal is to be able to wake up everyday and genuinely say I love what I do – which I think everyone deserves the chance at. 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.”
Aiava, then, thanked those who supported her career.
She has 10 International Tennis Federation titles on her resume and is 269-178 in singles matches. In Grand Slam events, she hasn’t made it further than the second round – which came during the 2025 Australian Open.
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