Tennis player claims sport's culture is 'racist' in scathing social media post

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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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Destanee Aiava during her match against Danielle Collins at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 16, 2025. (Mike Frey/Imagn Images)

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.

Destanee Aiava reacts after winning a set against Greet Minnen at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto on Aug. 5, 2024. (Dan Hamilton/USA Today Sports)

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"Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half a--ed. My ultimate goal is