Rejuvenated prodigy Destanee Aiava will contest her first Australian Open main draw in four years after a gutsy qualifying victory on Thursday.
Aiava, 24, and fellow Australian Kim Birrell, 26, both survived three-set battles to book their spots in the grand slam and boost the country’s female presence to eight players.
Former prodigy Destanee Aiava reached this year’s Australian Open main draw the hard way.Credit: Eddie Jim
The 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victory over German Eva Lys was an emotional one for Aiava, who was once the world’s best 14-year-old girl but has endured a challenging path back to this point.
The world No.195 bowed her head after securing match point in a private moment before rushing courtside to celebrate with her fiance Corey and mother Rosie.
It is the second straight grand slam that Aiava has qualified for (having done the same at last year’s US Open), and she credited improving her mentality for her form spike.
“It feels amazing. It’s been a couple of years since I was playing AO main, and to qualify as well feels even better,” Aiava said.
“It’s really me getting out of my own way and actually not shying away from wanting to succeed in this sport. I know I’ve always had the talent and the hard work and all the other stuff – it’s just my brain.”
Aiava has captured international attention for her vintage tennis outfits, including designs once worn by the likes of Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Serena Williams.
She also bought a $35 blue adidas dress off Facebook that she described as a “steal” and is likely to be her first-round outfit.
“I’ve struggled with clothing sponsorships for the last couple of years,” Aiava said.
“I love my fashion, and I always love the older dresses that don’t get worn any more. I didn’t really think it would make any impact at all, me wearing the dresses, but I’m glad I did. It’s been fun bringing them back.”
Aiava wants to break into the top 100 this year, but her effort to qualify at another grand slam means she plans to hold off on starting a fashion design degree.
She is focused on making her mark again in the tennis world in 2025, with her wedding not planned until November next year.
Aiava, who has borderline personality disorder, credits Corey with helping her through many tough moments across the seven years they have been together.
“I think staying happy off court impacts my results on the court. He’s been a great help and stuck by me through a lot of things,” she said.
“It’s so hard to be with someone who has BPD. I always have my bad days and bad tournaments, and I always want to quit whenever I lose, but I feel better after I’ve eaten a cookie or something.
“Before my matches this whole week, I’ve felt sick to my stomach. I was just so anxious. But I’m just really happy with today.”
Corey told this masthead in the minutes after Aiava’s victory that he felt “nothing but joy” after watching how hard she had worked for this moment.
“Me and her, and her entire team, had complete confidence she would qualify, regardless of who she drew,” Corey said.
“It’s been a long journey, and she’ll be nothing but happy after that.
“I think people underestimate mental health. People just see the physical side of things, but there’s always a lot going on behind closed doors that people don’t know.
“She’s had if not the toughest, one of the toughest, of all 128 players in qualifying, and to be one of the 16 who qualify is an awesome feeling.”
Birrell, who reached the Brisbane quarter-finals last week and is Australia’s top-ranked woman, overcame Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-7 (4-7) 6-4.
“I just feel so many things – happy, grateful, relieved, tired,” Birrell said, fighting back tears. “I’m just absolutely stoked and can’t wait to play next week.”
Maddison Inglis and Elena Micic fell one win short in their attempts to qualify for the main draw.
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