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"Tennis is racist, misogynistic and homophobic," Australian player lashes out as she retires, aged 25
LBC ^ | February 16, 2026 | Shelagh Fogarty

Posted on 02/16/2026 7:33:42 AM PST by Fiji Hill

Australia's Destanee Aiava has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 25 and claims she is turning her back on the game's "racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile" culture.

Aiava, who has Samoan heritage, will walk away from a sport she has likened to a "toxic boyfriend" at the end of the current season.

She announced her impending exit in an expletive-laden Instagram post in which she revealed she had been targeted by social media trolls.

Aiava, who has Samoan heritage, will walk away from a sport she has likened to a "toxic boyfriend" at the end of the current season.

She announced her impending exit in an expletive-laden Instagram post in which she revealed she had been targeted by social media trolls.

(Excerpt) Read more at lbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: racism; tennis

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Looks like tennis will be added to my list of behaviors, activities, hobbies, books, academic disciplines, arts, expressions, foods and first names that are racist, which so far inludes:
Calisthenics
Camping
Chicken and waffles
Classical music
"Cotton-picking" (expression)
Dr. Seuss books
Geology
Hiking
Mathematics
Mike (first name)
Milk
Organizing your pantry
Punctuality
Running
Setting an agenda
Swimming
Watermelons
Weight control
1 posted on 02/16/2026 7:33:42 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Fiji Hill

Paging Billie Jean King… Billie Jean King white courtesy phone, please.

I mean… I’m older but tennis was always seen as a bit gay compared to other sports.


2 posted on 02/16/2026 7:36:21 AM PST by Skywise
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To: Fiji Hill

A Samoan with mental issues. I’ve known a lot of Samoans but never with any issues like this moron.


3 posted on 02/16/2026 7:36:33 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (**** ICE (Illegal Criminal Emigrants).)
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To: Fiji Hill

Awwwww.....poor baby..
Maybe an AWFL mommy-type karen will come comfort and defend you....poor little thing.. /s Spit.


4 posted on 02/16/2026 7:37:42 AM PST by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created...")
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To: Fiji Hill

Sounds like her brain is full of Mush and not Tennis


5 posted on 02/16/2026 7:37:52 AM PST by butlerweave (Fateh)
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To: Fiji Hill
"Chicken and waffles" are racist? Did anyone tell Gladys Knight? I ate at her chicken and waffles joint (nothing special, high priced). That is not to mention Phoenix' Chicken and Waffle king, Larry "Lo-Lo" White (good, also high priced)


6 posted on 02/16/2026 7:37:53 AM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Fiji Hill
Tried to read through her statement, but every-other word was an F-bomb.

Soo, a Thesaurus would also be racist and misogynist....?

7 posted on 02/16/2026 7:38:11 AM PST by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again" - J. Hendrix)
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To: Skywise
I mean… I’m older but tennis was always seen as a bit gay compared to other sports.

Don't forget Martina Navratilova. Also Tennis was WAY ahead of the curve on the trans business (Richard Raskind/Renee Richards).
8 posted on 02/16/2026 7:40:12 AM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Fiji Hill

Aiava, who has a career-high singles ranking of 147

There’s no Affirmative Action in pro sports...yet. Sounds like sour grapes to me. She could have concluded that she has gone as far as her talent could take her. But no, it has to be racism, homophobia or whatever as the excuse for her mediocre career.


9 posted on 02/16/2026 7:40:58 AM PST by DeplorablePaul
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To: Fiji Hill

Didn’t become number one, huh?


10 posted on 02/16/2026 7:41:30 AM PST by Frank Drebin (And don't ever let me catch you guys in America!)
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To: Fiji Hill
Aiava, who has a career-high singles ranking of 147,

So she's "retiring" because she can't make money in tennis. Frankly, I kinda like this. She's spewing bile on the way out. That's a lot more enteraining than being polite. It would have been better is she named names too to completely go out with a bridge burning bang.

11 posted on 02/16/2026 7:42:25 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Fiji Hill

Another professional victim with a sensitivity meter pegged at 11.....so common nowadays it’s almost cliché.


12 posted on 02/16/2026 7:43:11 AM PST by V_TWIN (America....so great even the people that hate it won't leave)
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To: Fiji Hill

I bet if she removed herself from the social media world things wouldnt seem so horrible to her. Trolls exist everywhere- a 25 year old should know this by now. Cant take the heat, quit.


13 posted on 02/16/2026 7:43:36 AM PST by MrRelevant
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To: Fiji Hill
Australian tennis player calls out 'racist' culture as she retires from  sport aged 25 - Yahoo Sports
14 posted on 02/16/2026 7:44:33 AM PST by af_vet_1981 ( The bus came by and I got on, That's wh</en it all began.)
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To: Fiji Hill

What a sore loser! She never made it to the big leagues, her obvious dream, - didn’t have the talent - so she blames racism (OF COURSE).

Paging the Williams sisters...


15 posted on 02/16/2026 7:44:44 AM PST by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: Fiji Hill

Rage quitter.

16 posted on 02/16/2026 7:46:38 AM PST by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: Fiji Hill
From Wiki

Destanee Gabriella Aiava (born 10 May 2000) is an Australian professional tennis player. She has career-high WTA rankings of world No. 147 in singles, achieved on 11 September 2017, and No. 133 in doubles, set on 5 August 2024. In 2026, Aiava lost her first round women's doubles match, and failed to qualify for the singles draw. She announced in February that she planned to retire at the end of the season, criticising the sport's sexism, racism, and homophobia

It seems she was good enough to compete professionally, and she saw what it takes to get to the highest ranks. But she herself could not get there, and now the dream has slipped away.

And she's aging-out, has lost in the first round in major tournaments over the last three years.

So her sense of loss and frustration manifests itself in the most convenient way available to the minds of deluded Western woman - she's a victim of racism and the patriarchy.

17 posted on 02/16/2026 7:48:52 AM PST by PGR88
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To: Fiji Hill

Please add to your list I think it’s Denmark That has open air urinals men can use and the travel article said it raises equality issues.


18 posted on 02/16/2026 7:49:51 AM PST by Williams (Thank God for the election of President Trump!)
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Don’t Samoans usually have a thick/big boned body type? Doesn’t seem compatible with professional tennis. Oh well, she could always try pickle ball.


19 posted on 02/16/2026 7:50:02 AM PST by Farmerbob
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To: Fiji Hill

Typical liberal. F all over the place


20 posted on 02/16/2026 7:50:15 AM PST by albie
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