9 hours ago
Jelena Dokic hits back at trolling over her weight and claims she has 'abandoned plus-sized people' after halving her dress size
Jelena Dokic has hit back at trolling over her weight and the sad claims she has 'abandoned plus-sized people' after halving her dress size.
The retired tennis great, 42, has publicly chronicled her weight loss journey after shedding about 20 kilos through diet and lifestyle changes.
Dovic took to Instagram on Monday to post a before and after comparison of her figure along with a lengthy caption addressing how 'baffled' she is that trolls have consistently 'complained' about her.
'When I was a size 20, someone always complained, and now that I am a size 10, someone is always complaining too,' she wrote.
'It baffles me how there is always some troll, bully or unkind person out there that has to comment or put someone down.'
'When I was a size 20, I was a called names like whale, cow, fat and asking what happened to my size.'
Dokic said now that she is a size 10, trolls have turned to claiming she merely achieved the transformation through 'diet culture.'
'It's now bad that I am healthier and lost some weight, and I have abandoned standing up for plus-size people,' she said.
Dokic continued defending herself, saying she 'hasn't abandoned anyone' and had simply 'got healthier and lost some weight.'
'I have proudly walked and worked with millions of people watching as a size 20 and a size 4,' she said.
'And I will always stand up for people of any size.'
Famous fans of the professional tennis retiree swarmed the comments with their support.
Australian model Megan Gale commented three heart emojis, while former Miss World Australia Erin Holland expressed her dismay at the bullying.
'Shallow people, wow. Lucky you're anything but, gorgeous girl,' Holland wrote.
Meanwhile, MAFS star Sarah Roza commented: 'Well said, darling, just do you and carry on living your best life possible!'
It's not the first time Dokic has responded to critics after she shared a new selfie showcasing her impressively toned stomach earlier this month.
In the caption, the retired tennis star encouraged her followers to 'go after what you want' and 'never give up'.
A commenter expressed doubts about her weight loss amid the rise of injectable GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.
'Exercise and working so hard to get healthy,' Dokic wrote in response.
'6 am gym sessions and eating healthy even when I work 18 hour days.
'But thank you for the assumptions that had nothing to do with the truth.'
The Aussie tennis star reached a peak of World No. 4 during her glittering career, including a quarter-final appearance at the French Open in 2002.
Later this month, Dokic will commentate on the iconic Wimbledon tennis tournament, the same event where she reached the semi-final in 2000 at just 16 years old.
Dokic's new snap comes after the beloved tennis star was nominated for her first-ever Logie award for the Channel 9 documentary Unbreakable, about her turbulent life on and off the court.
In the doc, the tennis star harrowingly detailed her father and coach Damir Dokic's alleged physical, emotional and financial abuse, which allegedly occurred regularly throughout her childhood and during her professional career.
Ultimately, Dokic cut ties with her father, who passed away in May, and completely rebooted her career.
In 2009, she enjoyed an unforgettable run at the Australian Open after entering the draw as a wildcard and ultimately advancing all the way to the quarter-finals.
She retired from professional tennis in 2014 and is now a highly sought-after commentator for all four Grand Slams on Channel 9.
