Australian tennis player Destanee Aiava was recently seen hurling a chair at a wall after losing the final of a W75 tournament in Prague.
The incident sparked discussions, especially after Aiava abruptly deleted one of her social media accounts following some concerning statements.
On Sunday, February 23, the 24-year-old Australian faced off against Czech player Gabriela Knutson in the ITF W75 final in Prague. Aiava suffered a narrow defeat, falling 4-6, 6-3, 5-7. Frustrated by the loss, she reacted by grabbing a courtside chair and throwing it against a wall immediately after the match.
Watch the moment Destanee Aiava unleashed her frustration by throwing a chair following her hard-fought three-set defeat in the W75 final:
An online tennis forum later reported that Aiava’s fiancé, former player Corey Gaal, who was present at the match, had to step in to console and calm her down after the incident.
Shortly after the match, Aiava took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce her decision to retire from tennis. She revealed that her choice was driven by the constant hate messages and death threats she had been receiving from critics following her losses.
“I’ve made the executive decision to retire due to receiving hate msgs/comments and death threats after every single loss,” Aiava wrote.
However, in a concerning turn of events, Aiava later deleted her X account entirely, though her Instagram and YouTube profiles remain active.
Destanee Aiava shared some of her off-court experiences in Prague after losing W75 final
On YouTube, Destanee Aiava uploaded a vlog documenting her recent experiences in Prague. Throughout the nearly 14-minute video, she appeared cheerful and upbeat, even posing with the runner-up trophy she received after finishing second in the final.
She also visited neighboring Slovakia, sharing moments from her trip through Instagram Stories. However, Aiava has yet to confirm whether she has truly decided to retire from tennis.
Concerns about Aiava’s well-being stem from her struggles with mental health over the years. In 2022, she attempted to take her own life but was saved by the intervention of three strangers. Later that year, she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Earlier in 2025, Aiava had a solid run at the Australian Open, successfully navigating the qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the main draw of a Major for the first time. However, her journey in Melbourne ended in the second round after a loss to Danielle Collins.
Madison Keys jumps to career-high ranking despite not playing since Australian Open, prompting praise for Chris Evert
Madison Keys stunned the tennis world by capturing the 2025 Australian Open title, and despite not playing a match since her triumph in Melbourne, the American continues to climb the WTA rankings.
The Illinois native secured a hard-fought victory over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final, overcoming a late comeback to win in three sets. This marked her second appearance in a Grand Slam final, having previously finished as runner-up at the 2017 US Open to fellow American Sloane Stephens.
Following her triumph at the Happy Slam, Keys returned to her previous career-high ranking of World No.7. However, the 30-year-old decided to take a break, skipping both WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
Despite her absence, Keys still managed to rise in the rankings after the WTA 1000 event in Dubai, benefitting from several unexpected results to reach a new career-best ranking of World No.5.
Among those celebrating her achievement was former World No.1 Chris Evert, who took to social media to congratulate her compatriot.
“Congratulations Maddy, well deserved, keep going!” wrote Evert on Twitter.
Keys now joins fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the top five, marking the first time in over two decades that three American women have simultaneously held top-five spots in the WTA rankings.
