After impressing everyone with a straight sets win in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open, Destanee Aiava is ready for her next encounter. The Samoan-Australian WTA professional won two qualifying matches in a row a week ago on her way to the first major Down Under. To increase the momentum even further, she won the first round match against Belgium’s Greet Minnen, achieving a hat trick of wins! The number 165 in the world rankings has made it in the tennis world in recent years thanks to her family. But there is another person who accompanied her – a trusted trainer. But do you know who your coach is?

Destanee Aiava was born in Melbourne in 2000 to Mark and Rosie Aiava. Her father Mark is originally from New Zealand and was born to Samoan parents, while her mother Rosie was born in American Samoa. Mark was initially a powerlifter when he was young. However, he later decided to switch to personal training. Speaking of Rosie, she was a professional rugby player for the Australia women’s national rugby team. It was only Rosie who helped Destanee get better at tennis during her childhood. While her mother was her first trainer, there came a time when Destanee needed an experienced eye. Pictured is former Australian WTA professional Nichole Kriz – Aiava’s current coach.

Aiava made her Grand Slam debut under her mother’s tutelage at the age of 16 at Wimbledon 2017. But immediately after, Nichole Kriz was brought in to hone her skills. For those inexperienced: Kriz, born in Sydney in 1983, comes from a sporting family. Her father, Myke, played ice hockey and soccer for Czechoslovakia. On the other hand, her older sister Michelle was the former No. 2 skater in Australia. So how could Nichole resist becoming an athlete?

Kriz’s love for tennis began when she watched her father and mother Seija playing the sport socially. Kriz started playing tennis at the age of six. And by the time she turned 15, she was already the No. 1 junior player in Australia and represented the New South Wales team. As a professional, she managed to achieve the best placement of her career with 104th place in 2007.

In addition to being Aiava’s current coach, she is also the director of the National Tennis Academy in Brisbane. There, she helps oversee the academy’s program to develop aspiring, talented players between the ages of 16 and 23. This role was given to her last year. Reflecting on her journey and role on the eve of International Women’s Day in March 2024, she said: “I really want to make a difference for the athletes and their families with their experiences along the way and work with our team to create a great environment for them.” as Tennis.com reported last March.

Kriz has been with Aiava for almost eight years now, training her to become a world-class player. But the role will become even more important going forward, considering Aiava has an important game ahead of him. But before that, she revealed what her first-round victory at the 2025 Australian Open meant to her.

The first round win “makes a big difference” for Destanee Aiava

Before we come under the light of glory, Destanee AiavaThe past was surrounded by darker days. For the inexperienced, she once endured a long mental battle. According to several reports, she even thought about jumping off a bridge in 2022. Luckily, she was rescued after three people managed to drive her home after flagging her down. Remembering that moment, she said, “I didn’t want to reach my 22nd birthday.“, as Daily Mail reported on January 14th. As it turns out, her life hasn’t always been great in terms of comfort.

After her win in the first round, she talked about how it can help her solve her financial problems in the future. With her win, she is guaranteed to earn at least $200,000. She expressed her feelings and revealed that it was that amount “makes a big difference” for her. Especially considering she’s still not in the top 100. Since she is a lower ranked player, it was difficult for her to secure major sponsorship deals. This means that she can only earn a good amount of money through her appearances at bigger events.

She reinforced her feelings after the win, saying: “This means I can bring someone with me to travel this year and afford to actually go to all the tournaments I want. It really helps. Financially, tennis is so expensive. I find it difficult to travel alone.”

“The fact that I can bring my fiancé and hopefully one of my family members to the majors makes a huge difference.” she concluded. As is always the case with a less popular face, she is now attracting a lot of attention. But with the newfound fame, the pressure to maintain their winning streak also increases.

On Thursday, Aiava will face American Danielle Collins in the second round. The number 11 in the world rankings confidently beat Ukrainian Daria Snigur in her first game at the Australian Open on Monday. It will be exciting to see who emerges as the final candidate for the third round on January 16th. Do you think Aiava will make it to the next round? Let us know in the comments below.