Australian tennis professional Destanee Aiava has publicly announced that the 2026 season will mark her final year on the professional tour, delivering a blistering and emotional critique of the sport that she claims has left her feeling broken, bullied, and profoundly disillusioned.
A Scathing Social Media Farewell
In a candid and explosive nine-slide Instagram post, the 25-year-old athlete described her relationship with tennis as akin to a 'toxic boyfriend.' She began her statement with a definitive declaration: '2026 will be my final year on tour playing professional tennis.' Aiava reflected on a journey that commenced with her first lesson at Casey Tennis Club and saw her achieve the historic milestone of becoming the first player born in the 2000s to compete in a Grand Slam tournament.
The Broken Trajectory of a Prodigy
'There was a time in my career when I had reached the point that comes just before you make your big breakthrough,' Aiava wrote, recounting her early promise. 'I was only 17, unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people. The trajectory of my career was never the same after that.' She admitted that for years, she continued playing primarily out of a sense of obligation and fear, rather than passion.
'Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half assed,' she asserted. 'My ultimate goal is to be able to wake up everyday and genuinely say I love what I do.'
A Furious Broadside Against the Tennis Establishment
Her statement quickly escalated into a fiery condemnation of various elements within the tennis community. 'I want to say a ginormous f*** you to everyone in the tennis community who's ever made me feel less than,' she wrote.
Her specific targets included:
- Online gamblers who have sent her hate or death threats.
- Social media trolls who comment on her body and career from behind screens.
- The sport itself, which she accused of hiding a culture of racism, misogyny, homophobia, and elitism behind its 'white outfits and traditions.'
'Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that's racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn't fit the mould,' Aiava declared.
Support from Fellow Athletes
Despite the harsh criticism, Aiava's post garnered significant support from high-profile figures in sports. Australian Jillaroos rugby league star Emma Tonegato commented, 'Love this! Go queen.' American tennis player Sloan Stephens responded with three heart emojis. Additional support came from Australian tennis stars Daria Saville, Storm Hunter, Jason Kubler, and Maddy Inglis, as well as Olympian Morgan Mitchell and influencer Costeen Hatzi.
Context of Public Battles
This outburst follows months of Aiava publicly confronting online trolls. During Australian Open qualifying, she exposed a commenter who told her to try 'competitive eating' and labelled her 'big af.' She fired back: 'Body shaming is not a f***ing opinion and neither is bullying… Karma is a b****.'
Her frustration with perceived elitism in tennis culture also surfaced when she defended Naomi Osaka over criticism of her Australian Open outfits, accusing commentators of bias and suggesting some believe 'tennis [is] only for the white people.'
Looking Ahead with Fear and Resolve
Aiava, who famously defeated then world No.10 Aryna Sabalenka in 2019 and became a cult hero with her Melbourne Park breakthrough last year, confessed to feeling 'so far behind everyone else' and 'scared' about starting anew after tennis. 'But that's better than living a life that's misaligned,' she concluded, signaling a difficult but determined path forward beyond the professional circuit she now condemns.
