After 21 years with a racket in hand, Destanee Aiava has decided it was time to walk away. On February 14, the 25-year-old Australian announced that 2026 will be her final season on tour. “From the moment I had my first lesson at Casey Tennis Club, my entire life was tennis,” she wrote, reflecting on a journey that began in childhood and carried her to the biggest stages in the sport.

Recently, Aiava doubled down on her decision to retire, citing death threats and racist abuse as major factors behind her exit. The explosive revelation sent shockwaves through the tennis community, with many rallying behind her. But Aiava isn’t stepping away from competition altogether. In a new social media update, she revealed that she’s preparing to swap tennis whites for a netball bib.

“I actually have my first netball training session on Thursday night, which I’m so excited for,” she shared. “Super random for people who don’t know me, I know.” Netball, one of Australia’s most popular team sports among women, has long been on her radar. “My plan was always to find a team sport to play when I did finish. I always said if I wasn’t playing tennis as my sport, I would be playing netball.”

Aiava burst onto the scene as a teenager, becoming the first player born in 2000 or later to compete in a Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open in 2017. That same year, she climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 147. Across her career, she collected 10 ITF singles titles and 14 ITF doubles titles, building a résumé that reflected both promise and perseverance. Yet behind the results was a story far more complicated.

Previously, while reflecting on her journey, Aiava questioned the sacrifices required by professional tennis: “I often wondered what my life would have looked like if I’d have chosen anything else. And whether everything I sacrificed for this sport was actually worth the cost.”

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“I was only 17, unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people,” she admitted. “The trajectory of my career was never the same after that.”

Tour life brought financial stress, constant travel, physical strain, and emotional toll. There were moments she continued because she felt she owed it to herself and to those who supported her. Other times, she stayed because starting over felt even scarier.

Destanee Aiava describes her relationship with tennis as being with a “toxic boyfriend”

For Destanee Aiava, tennis was never just a sport. It was her childhood, her identity, and eventually, her emotional battleground. When the Melbourne-born star compared her relationship with tennis to being with a “toxic boyfriend,” it wasn’t a throwaway line. It was a reflection of years spent feeling both devoted to and hurt by the very game she once loved unconditionally.

In one of her previous statements, she openly admitted, “I want to say a ginormous f— you to everyone in the tennis community who’s ever made me feel less than.”

She lashed out at the abuse she says followed her throughout her career, particularly from online gamblers and anonymous social media users. Aiava also condemned the hate messages and death threats that arrived after the losses. She called out body-shaming comments and relentless nitpicking about her career. And she didn’t stop there.

In her words, tennis hides behind its polished traditions – the white outfits and long-standing customs, while masking deeper cultural problems. She described the environment as racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and hostile toward those who don’t fit a certain mold.

However, the signs of emotional strain weren’t new. At the 2025 edition of the Australian Open, Aiava’s run ended in the second round against Danielle Collins. The Melbourne crowd tried to rally behind their home favorite, but Collins sealed the win and even gestured toward the stands afterward – a moment that intensified online chatter.

Soon after, Aiava posted a cryptic message on X suggesting she was ready to walk away from professional tennis. She later revealed that the abuse she received after defeats had become overwhelming.

“I’ve made the executive decision to retire due to receiving hate messages/comments and death threats after every single loss,” she wrote at the time.

Not long after, she deleted her account altogether – a move that raised fresh concerns about the toll social media had taken.

Even during the 2025 Australian Open qualifiers, she faced criticism for wearing an outfit inspired by Maria Sharapova. When negative comments flooded in, Aiava responded bluntly, refusing to be shamed for expressing herself.

According to Destanee Aiava, “Life is not meant to be lived in misery.”

Her ultimate goal, she explained, is simple: to wake up every day and genuinely love what she does.

Now, as she steps into the next chapter of her life, one she says will be guided by purpose, creativity, and passion… Aiava’s story serves as a stark reminder that behind the elegance of center courts and traditions lies a reality far less polished. What are your thoughts on her retirement decision, though?