Tennis Star Destanee Aiava Quits Sport in Explosive Open Letter: 'Tennis Was My Toxic Boyfriend'
Tennis star Destanee Aiava has publicly quit the sport.
The 24-year-old athlete took to her Instagram on Saturday (February 14) to post a statement regarding her retirment, equating tennis and the parts of the community that made her feel “less than” to a “toxic boyfriend.”
“2026 will be my final year on tour playing professional tennis. From the moment I had my first lesson at Casey Tennis Club, my entire life was tennis,” she wrote.
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Destanee became the first player born in 2000 or later to play in a Grand Slam main draw during the 2017 Australian Open, per People, and she reached a world ranking at No. 147 in 2017. She has won 10 International Tennis Federation single titles and 14 ITF doubles titles.
“I often wondered what my life would have looked like if I’d chosen anything else. And whether everything I sacrificed for this sport was actually worth the cost. There was a time in my career when I had reached the point that comes just before you make your big breakthrough, when the world is at your feet and nothing can touch you,” she continued.
Destanee said she 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 said she sometimes felt she was playing because she “owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career.”
“Other times I kept going because I was too scared to start again. Or I was bored. I also didn’t know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was. I was constantly looking for that thing that gave me peace instead of grief. In other words tennis was my toxic boyfriend.”
And while she is grateful to the many incredible things the sport has brought her, she also hammered home that it has had detrimental effects on her life, body, mental health, and family.
“Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the mould,” Destanee wrote. “I want to say a ginormous f–k you to everyone in the tennis community who’s ever made me feel less than.”
She added: “F–k you to every single gambler who’s sent me hate or death threats. F–l 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.”
Ultimately, she said she has been “deeply humbled” at the opportunity to inspire young people who look like her into not being afraid of chasing their dreams no matter what.
“Without you, there wouldn’t be me. I am proud to have been one of the few you saw on a stage that wasn’t built for us. I am proud to have made history for our people. And I am proud of where I come from — because of all of you,” she said.
“I don’t know what this year will look like or where tennis fits into it,” Destanee concluded. “What I do know is that this chapter will end on my terms. And I’m truly grateful for the people who supported me without trying to change who I am. I look forward to stepping into my next phase of life — one led by purpose, creativity and passion.”