Destanee Aiava becomes the first Samoan heritage female tennis player to play a US Open main draw
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Loading... - Emil Schulte
- 28 Aug 2024
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Destanee Aiava has made history by becoming the first female tennis player of Samoan heritage to compete in the US Open Singles main draw. The 24-year-old Australian secured her spot in the tournament with a series of impressive straight-set victories in the qualifying rounds against Gergana Topalova, fourth seed Mai Hontama, and former top-20 player Ana Konjuh in New York.
This achievement also marks a significant milestone for Australian tennis, as it is the first time that five Australian women have qualified for the US Open main draw through qualifying, and the first time in 11 years that Australian players have qualified in both the men’s and women’s events at Flushing Meadows.
Aiava is no stranger to making history. In 2017, at just 16 years old, she became the first player—male or female—born in 2000 or later to participate in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament. She was also the youngest individual of Pacific Island heritage to make a Grand Slam appearance, debuting at the Australian Open, and the second person of Samoan heritage to feature in a Grand Slam event.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Aiava comes from a family deeply rooted in sports. Her mother, Rosie, originally from American Samoa, played rugby for the Wallaroos, while her father, Mark, born in New Zealand to Samoan parents, was a powerlifter before transitioning to personal training. Aiava’s early tennis journey was guided by her mother, who coached her to her first Grand Slam appearance in 2017.
Aiava later teamed up with Nicole Kriz, Tennis Australia's director of the National Tennis Academy, to further her professional career. Recently engaged to fellow professional tennis player Corey Gaal, Aiava continues to build her legacy in the sport.
Aiava is set to make her US Open debut today at 3:00 am AEST against Russian-born Elena Rybakina in the first round, marking yet another chapter in her already impressive career.
