Destanee Aiava's Australian Open first-round win to make a 'world of difference'

For a professional tennis player, Destanee Aiava’s first-round victory at the Australian Open is undoubtedly a welcome “payday.” She defeated Belgian Greet Minnen in a thrilling three-set match on Monday night, and simply by advancing to the second round, she is guaranteed to earn at least $200,000 AUD in prize money.

This amount of prize money might seem high, and could lead some to believe that tennis players are spoiled and overpaid. But as Aiava points out, when you are ranked outside the top 100 and cannot attract the sponsorship money that goes to the top players, this money is "huge".

Aiava, currently ranked 195th in the WTA, needed to qualify to get into the main draw at Melbourne Park. She had previously even considered selling her house to support her career, to cover the travel and accommodation costs of playing in international tournaments. Even if Aiava fails to overcome 10th seed Danielle Collins in the second round, the financial reward she earns from the Australian Open will greatly assist in funding her 2025 season campaign.

“It means I can travel with people this year and be able to play all the tournaments I want to play,” Aiava said after her 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (10/5) victory over Minnen. “It really helps. Financially, tennis is so expensive. It's hard to travel alone. Now I can bring my fiancé and, if possible, a family member to big events, which means a lot.”

As a promising junior, Aiava had previously entered the Australian Open main draw four times without progressing past the first round. In fact, it wasn't until Monday night that she won her first ever grand slam singles match. Reflecting on her victory against Minnen, Aiava said her confidence is growing. “I sometimes get into a really negative space thinking that I’m never going to win a first round, or never going to qualify, like I did before the US Open (in 2024),” she said. “But I think once I actually do it, the confidence comes with it, and the more I do similar things, the more it builds my confidence.”

Throughout her career, Aiava has spoken openly about the mental health challenges she has faced. She even contemplated suicide at one point. In the lead-up to the Australian Open, Aiava also had to deal with body-shaming comments on social media and criticism of her match outfits. Aiava admits that managing online abuse is an ongoing process, but she believes she has the right support mechanisms in place.

“I'm handling it OK at the moment,” she said. “I try to stay off my phone and not look at the negative stuff in the media. I guess I'm kind of used to it because I went through a lot of it when I was younger. I'm older now and I can handle it better. I've got people around me that keep me sane. If they see me on my phone for too long, they'll take it off me. I think I've been handling it pretty well.”

If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact: Lifeline: 13 11 14; Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636; MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978; Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800; Headspace: 1800 650 890; QLife: 1800 184 527; ReachOut Australia.