Destanee Aiava has shed light on the cruel insults she has received throughout her tennis career after announcing her decision to step away from the sport, aged 25. The former world No. 147 shared the news in a strong statement on social media over the weekend, branding tennis her “toxic boyfriend” in the moving post.

The Samoan-Australian tennis star added: “F*** you to a sport that hides behind so-called class and gentlemanly values. Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that’s racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn’t fit the mould.”

As she prepares to retire on her own terms, Aiava has given more of an insight into the heartbreaking abuse and racism she experienced throughout her career, telling Clay that she has been “called a ‘monkey’ and ‘transgender’” on the court.

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Aiava, who paid tribute to the Pacific Islander community in her retirement post, also said: “Being a woman of colour in this sport that’s predominantly white, it’s been a big struggle from the get-go. There’s not been one time where I felt like I belonged in this sport because of my colour.

“It’s always going to be harder for us and that’s just the reality. Even if I wasn’t a woman, it’s still going to be harder if I was Brown or Asian or Black. From the online abuse and people in the stands during my matches heckling me there’s so many instances that equated to my retirement post.

“I’ve gotten comments online from people calling me ‘fat,’ calling me a ‘man.’ Even seeing gay tennis players and how they’re treated, it’s such an important thing for me to also advocate for them because I see firsthand how they’ve been treated in tennis. I really just didn’t want to speak for myself. I wanted to speak for everyone else who had or who has had a very similar experience to me.”

Sharing her own experiences with racism on the court, the 25-year-old added: “When I was little, there were crazy tennis parents at the tournaments and they would not be too shy to express how they felt out loud by calling me a ‘man’ or a ‘monkey’.”

While Aiava didn’t experience the same abuse in the locker rooms, she has still called out the “hostile” environment on tour. “They all just talk behind each other’s backs. That’s the reason why it creates a hostile environment because everyone just says it behind your back and then gives a fake smile when you’re passing each other. I’m very big on energy and for the most part, whenever I was in that environment, the energy was just terrible,” she explained.

The current world No. 320 is now looking forward to focusing on the “people who matter”, and hopes that she’ll be remembered for honestly speaking about her experiences in tennis.