Sam Groth, the party's deputy leader in Victoria, confirmed on Monday that he will not contest his Mornington Peninsula seat of Nepean at the 2026 state election.
"After many conversations with my wife and with a great deal of personal thought, I have informed the Leader of the Opposition that I have decided that I cannot continue in parliament beyond the election," he said in a statement.
The first-term MP said the public pressure placed on his family over recent months had been significant.
"Realising that some of it came from within my own party has been difficult to ignore. Coming to that realisation has forced some very personal reflection," he said.
Liberal leader Jess Wilson said she was informed about Mr Groth's decision on Monday morning.
"It's disappointing. He's a loss to the team, but that doesn't mean that ... our team won't continue. We will continue to focus on the needs of Victorians," she told reporters.
Ms Wilson said claims of party infighting predated her becoming leader, adding that she had reiterated to her MPs the importance of offering an alternative to voters ahead of the November 28 election.
"These are historic issues and I've been very clear since I took on the leadership around my expectations of the team," she said.
"My expectation as a team is that we are focused. We're focused on the Victorian people every single day."
The announcement comes months after the senior Liberal MP and his wife Brittany settled legal action against Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper over articles published about when the pair began their relationship.
During the legal process, it was revealed a Liberal MP had contacted the outlet with a "piece of gossip".
Mr Groth said he had tried to approach his job with honesty, hard work and a clear focus on the people who put their trust in him.
"But when you find yourself having to fight against your own team, it becomes impossible to put those interests first," he said.
He described recent months as extremely challenging for his family.
Mr Groth's decision exposed the Liberal Party's internal struggles, deputy premier Ben Carroll said.
"The Liberal Party in 2026 are more divided than they've ever been," he said.
"He's laid it in black and white for us all to see that the Liberal Party are there to solely fight amongst themselves. There's no sugarcoating it."
Mr Groth has not yet resigned his deputy leadership and portfolios, but Ms Wilson said convention states anyone inferring they're not contesting the next election will step away from shadow cabinet.
The former sports star made headlines after it emerged he had used then-opposition upper house leader Georgie Crozier's chauffeur-driven vehicle to get home home from the Australian Open in January 2024.
He had earlier hosted a political fundraiser with Nationals MP Jade Benham.
The 38-year-old's stint in politics followed a storied tennis career, which included a world record-breaking, fastest-ever serve in 2012.
He reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 53 in 2015.
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