In short:
Destanee Aiava opens up about her decision to retire from tennis, saying she received death threats that made her scared to play.
The 25-year-old details the impacts of racism, saying she developed eating disorders.
What’s next?
Aiava is calling for greater action from tennis authorities to crack down on racism and hate.
Destanee Aiava knew it was time to quit her professional tennis career when she began to feel scared stepping onto the court.
She wasn’t afraid of her opponent, the match or the thousands of spectators watching on around the world.
Aiava was dreading picking up her phone after the match.
Aiava, 25, announced she was quitting tennis in an explosive social media post on Valentine’s Day, describing the sport as her “toxic boyfriend”.
She last played at the Australian Open, where she was knocked out alongside Maddison Inglis in the first round of the women’s doubles.
Like other professional athletes, Aiava says she was being targeted by members of the public who had placed bets on her match.
“They were all gamblers,” she says.
“Even if I did win, I would still get a lot of messages saying they had lost their home or something.
“There was a period where, last year, I was literally scared to step on the court.”