Jelena Dokic reflects on her 'amazing' year as she jets off on European vacation... after 'hard launching' relationship with Yane Veselinov
The former tennis champion, 42, recently 'hard launched' her new relationship with partner Yane Veselinov.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the commentator revealed that she was taking some much-needed downtime.
Jelena shared a photo that showed her beaming as she relaxed on a Qatar Airways business class flight.
Already fresh-faced and relaxed, Jelena showed little sign of being in desperate need of a break.
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'An amazing 12 months,' Jelena gushed in the caption. 'Couldn't have asked for more.
'So busy, so happy, and so grateful for it all. Time to take a couple of weeks off and recharge. Europe, see you soon.'
She accompanied the sentiment with the hashtags: #timetorecharge, #recharge, #randr, and #europe.
The post was met with an outpouring of support for Jelena with the likes of comedian Joel Creasey offering: 'Love Queen Jelena'.
Others were quick to wish Jelena a hearty bon voyage.
'I couldn't be more happy for you Jelena,' one fan gushed. 'More deserving than anyone I know.'
Another chimed in with: 'Have fun lovely. Well deserved. Hope your man is joining you, so you can show him our beautiful Country/Croatia.'
Jelena's sunny post comes after she went 'Instagram official' with her new boyfriend Yane earlier this month.
Commenting on a loved-up photo of the pair, Jelena wrote: 'You are my calm, safe, peaceful and happy place. So glad I found you.'
It follows the couple being seen cuddling at Melbourne Airport in May.
Late last year, Jelena revealed she had been 'closed off' to finding love ever since she split from her long-time Brazilian boyfriend, Tin Bikic.
The couple were together for almost 19 years before announcing they had ended their relationship in 2021.
Aside from her new romance, it certainly has been an active 12 months for Jelena, with the star having been kept busy with her tennis commentary duties for Channel Nine.
Jelena has also revealed a remarkable weight-loss journey that has seen her shed an incredible 20 kilograms.
Taking to Instagram in June, Jelena shared a post comparing her current appearance with how she looked back in 2023, when she was 20 kg heavier.
In the caption, she stressed that she was happy in both pictures, adding that weight loss was not the goal but simply a 'by-product' of adopting healthier habits.
'This is about HEALTH and not SIZE,' she continued. 'So many questions about me getting healthier, which has seen me lose weight. Weight loss was not a priority; it's just a by-product of looking after my health.'
Addressing those who accused her of crash-dieting, Jelena went on to clarify: 'I didn't lose weight quickly. I lost 20 kilos in just under 10 months. Nothing fast.'
She explained she had lost the weight because of 'a family history of diabetes' and the fact she had recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Jelena has also been busy on the promotional trail promoting the screen adaptation of her 2017 tell-all autobiography Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story.
Her amazing year has not come without difficulty, however, with her father, Demir, passing away in May, aged 67.
She suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of her father, who was also her tennis coach early on in her career.
'As you know, my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful, with a lot of history,' she posted on Instagram.
'Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non-existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from.
'The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief.'
Jelena admitted she had conflicting and complex emotions as she shared a childhood photo of her as a little girl cuddling up to her dad, who she had not spoken to in 10 years.
'For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture,' she continued.
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