17-year-old Destanee Aiava believes honesty is the best policy, but her latest comments have caused a stir.
Aiava made history at the start of the year by competing at the Australian Open. She was the first player to participate in the main draw of a grand slam that was born in the year 2000 or later. Since then, the Australian has won a duo of ITF titles and reached a high of 147th in September. At the Brisbane International she stunned Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the first round.
The talent of Aiava is undisputed. She was introduced into the sport by her parents. Her mother is a self-taught coach and her father is a powerlifter. Together they help develop their daughter’s career. In an exclusive interview by The Canberra Times, it was revealed that Aiava is the main breadwinner for her family.
Providing for a family at such a young age inevitably takes its toll. It is for this reason, why Aivav’s intention to quit tennis once she has made enough money isn’t attracting as much attention as Bernard Tomic. Controversy-stricken Tomic once said to a reporter ‘Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?’ in response to allegations of tanking on a match point.
“I was one of those kids where our house was like a cabin, so I’m kind of used to that poor lifestyle and I just want that lavish lifestyle,” Aiava said.
“Money is the motivation, obviously everyone wants a better lifestyle for their future and money definitely helps that a lot.
“I can’t lie anymore, I’m done with that, honesty is the best policy. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel and I just want it, as soon as I have enough money I’ll stop playing.”
Aiava, who is currently ranked 169th in the world, admits that she continues to play tennis to buy a house for herself and each of her parents. Highlighting the harsh realities of how tough it can be to travel on the tour throughout the year.
“They’ve been a huge help on my career and I wouldn’t be here without them, so I want to give back to them as much as possible.” She commented about her parents.
“I’m motivated to supply for my family because I’m kind of the only provider right now, so there is a lot of expectations there, but yeah that’s kind of why I’m still playing.”
The views of the teenager are a mixture of Tomic and Nick Kyrgios in one. For her tennis is more of a job instead of a passion. The question is how much longer will she be in the job for?
