Tennis star Jelena Dokic, 38, posts emotional message aimed at body shamers after being cruelly taunted for her different weights and sizes
- Tennis champion Jelena Dokic, 38, hit back at body shamers after being trolled
- The former World No.4 wowed thousands after slimming to 67kg in 18 months
- Jelena has always struggled with her weight, and said people shouldn't judge
- She explained people should not treat others differently, depending on size
Tennis champion Jelena Dokic has fired back at online trolls after she was taunted for her varying weights and sizes.
The former World No. 4 wowed thousands around the world after she slimmed down to her 'playing weight' of 67 kilos in 18 months after weighing in at 120 kilos.
But the 38-year-old, who lives in Melbourne, still struggles with the scales and put some weight back on during Melbourne's draconian lockdown restrictions.
Tennis champion Jelena Dokic has fired back at online trolls after she was taunted for her varying weights and sizes (pictured before, now and pre-COVID)
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The former World No. 4 wowed thousands after she slimmed down to her 'playing weight' of 67 kilos in 18 months after weighing in at 120 kilos (pictured at the Australian Open)
Jelena (pictured throughout her weight loss journey) said trolls and body shamers need to stop judging people based on their size
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Jelena slammed body shamers and online trolls for criticising her weight - as she shared side-by-side pictures of herself before, now and pre-COVID.
'Real talk on body shaming,' Jelena wrote.
'I am constantly disappointed and sad to see people treat and look at others differently because of their size.
'People are constantly obsessed over whether someone is big, small, fat or skinny - as they like to put it. Why the obsession with our size, especially what size women are?'
The 38-year-old went on to say that it is 'so disappointing' to see how people treat and talk to others who they consider as big or fat, whether it's in real life or online.
'These images of me are all at different sizes and weight,' she said.
'Does the image on the left make me less worthy than the one on the right? Is me being a good, kind, empathetic and considerate person determined by my size?
'What is important is if someone is kind, compassionate and a good person, not what size they are.'
The 38-year-old said it is 'so disappointing' to see how people treat and talk to others who they consider as big or fat, whether it's in real life or online (pictured in February 2021)
Jelena (pictured earlier this month) said many people who struggle with their weight use food as a coping mechanism, and this is a trap she fell into over the years
Jelena highlighted a study that found that 90 per cent of people who struggle with their weight are people who have had to deal with 'trauma, pain and suffering' - and they use food as a coping mechanism.
'I know this from personal experience,' she said.
'That is how I dealt with my pain, trauma, suffering, depression and suicidal thoughts. If I didn't use food as a coping mechanism, who knows if I would be here today.'
The 38-year-old begged people to stop judging her and her weight, as she is always working 'hard on myself and trying to be as healthy as I can be'.
'Don't forget it's not one size fits all,' she concluded.
'Don't judge people based on their size and be kind always.'
In January 2020, the 37-year-old revealed she was the 'lightest' she'd ever been in a decade (pictured throughout her weight loss journey)
The teenage star's career peaked when she made the Wimbledon quarter finals in 1999 and semi finals in 2000, followed by the 2002 French Open quarter finals
Dokic debuted her 45kg weight loss in August 2019 (right), crediting a specific diet for helping her shed fat. The 36-year-old (pictured left in 2018), previously revealed she turned to food as emotional support when she retired from the sport in 2014
Jelena previously revealed she lived off an unhealthy diet of burgers, fries and sugary foods after she was forced into retirement following an injury in 2014.
But determined to turn her life around, she dramatically shed 53 kilos in 18 months after embarking on a Jenny Craig weight loss program, bringing the tennis star to her lowest weight in 10 years.
'Even though I have posted "before and after pictures" before and I have posted unflattering pictures of myself and my journey, it's never easy to do it publicly,' she said in May 2020.
'I think it's also important to keep it honest and real and show the not-so-perfect images and stories sometimes. That's the reality of life and we all have tough stories, battles and journeys and I am proud of mine.
'I am not here to brag about how much weight I've lost. This is about my tough journey which I am still on and will be for a long time. It's about the mental battle and the battle with myself and then it's about the kilos.'
In January 2020, she revealed she was the 'lightest' she'd ever been in a decade.
'I never thought in a little over 12 months, I would be where I am. I worked hard for it, day in and day out, it has its challenging moments, but it is so rewarding and now I want to empower others to do the same,' Jelena said at the time.
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