Australian tennis player Destanee Aiava says she will retire at 25 and criticises the sport's culture

Destanee Aiava, 25, announced she will retire at the end of the season and described tennis as having a racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile culture.

Destanee Aiava, an Australian tennis player, has announced she will retire at the end of the season at age 25. In a social-media post she described the sport's culture as racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to those who do not fit the mould. Aiava reached a career-high ranking of 147 as a teenager and is currently ranked 321. She reached the second round of the 2025 Australian Open. Key points: - Aiava, 25, said she will retire from professional tennis at the end of the season. - In her public statement she described negative experiences within the sport and criticised its culture using those terms. - Her career highlights include a junior rise to a career-high ranking of 147 and a second-round appearance at the 2025 Australian Open; she is currently ranked 321. - She said she intends to begin a fresh start in 2027. Summary: Aiava framed her retirement as a response to the treatment she reported experiencing in the sport and said it had affected her health and personal relationships. She will leave professional tennis at season's end and has said she plans to start fresh in 2027. Wider responses or further developments were not reported.