Destanee Aiava announces 2026 retirement, criticises toxic culture

The former junior prodigy said she was grateful for her opportunity to travel the world, the friends that she had made, and the platform that came with being a professional athlete.

However, she conceded the toll of the sport outweighed the benefits of continuing life on tour.

“It also took things from me. My relationship with my body. My health. My family. My self-worth,” she said.

“Would I do it all again? I really don’t know, but one thing this sport taught me is that there is always a chance to start fresh.”

Aiava said there were many factors that contributed to her carrying on this long.

“Sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career, to try and get back to where (on paper) I belonged,” she said.

“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.”

However, Aiava said she ultimately couldn’t, and didn’t want to, carry on with professional tennis anymore, but that she had been proud to represent the Islander community on an international stage and make “history for our people”.

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Aiava’s said she was looking forward to her next chapter, even if she isn’t quite sure what that is.

“I don’t know what this year will look like or where tennis fits into it. What I do know is that this chapter will end on my terms,” she said.

“And I am truly grateful for the people who’ve supported me without trying to change who I am. ”

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