Former tennis player Jelena Dokic has stood up to trolls for body-shaming her on social media. The ex-player and current commentator has said that her happiness is more important than her size, sharing two pictures of herself on Instagram, one as a young tennis player and another as a commentator.
In her post, Jelena also shared traumatic experiences of surviving domestic violence and enduring physical and emotional abuse. By doing so, she highlights the impact that such experiences can have on a person’s physical and mental well-being, and brought attention to the issue of body shaming and the harmful effects of societal expectations of size. Her response serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize our own happiness and well-being, rather than conforming to others’ opinions or societal norms.
“I survived being a refugee twice, I was bullied, I lived in a domestic violence-filled home for 15 years and I was beaten unconscious, I was abused physically and emotionally and got beaten for the first time when I was 6 years, I was called a w** and a cow since I was as young as 11,” she wrote.
Dokic said that she had to escape from home, battle anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma and almost committed suicide.
“I still managed to do pretty well.I managed to be top 5 in the world as a tennis player and a grand slam finalist. I am a bestselling author, commentator and speaker but most importantly I survived. So while you see a weight and size change, I will tell you the difference between these two images.
The one on the left is a size 4, scared to death, beaten unconscious and that bulge on my shins is from being kicked all night,” she added.
