Destanee Aiava is only 25 years old, yet she has already announced that the 2026 season will be her last on tour. In a shocking and deeply personal Instagram statement, the Australian player laid bare her complicated relationship with the sport, explaining what she absolutely hates about professional tennis and why she is ready to walk away.
“Tennis was my toxic boyfriend,” Aiava wrote, after unpacking the reasons she stayed as long as she did. At times, she felt a sense of obligation to the people who had supported her throughout her career. Other times, she admitted she was afraid to start over, unsure of who she was without tennis, or simply continuing out of boredom rather than passion.
While Aiava acknowledged that the sport gave her meaningful friendships and the opportunity to travel to beautiful places around the world, she was equally clear about the cost. Tennis, she said, took far more than it gave, as she listed what she had lost along the way: “My relationship with my body. My health. My family. My self worth.”
The most striking and uncompromising section of her statement was directed at critics, gamblers, and the wider tennis culture itself:
“I want to say a ginormous f—k you to everyone in the tennis community who’s ever made me feel less than. F—k you to every single gambler who’s sent me hate or death threats. F—k you to the people who sit behind screens on social media, commenting on my body, my career, or whatever the f—k they want to nitpick. And f—k 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.“
Aiava says she is looking ahead to the next phase of her life, one she hopes will be authentic and “led by purpose, creativity and passion.” Still, she admits the transition will not be easy. She feels behind her generation and knows she will have to start from scratch. However, she is ready to face her fears, rather than continue living a life that feels misaligned and untrue to herself.
The last tournament Aiava played was the qualifying of the 2026 Australian Open, where she fell in the opening round. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 147 achieved in 2017.
