Former Top 5 WTA player Jelena Dokic recently took to Instagram to address body shamers who have been criticizing her weight gain. In a raw and honest post, the Australian shared her personal struggles with abuse and trauma, and explained why she’s embracing her current size.
The 40-year-old Dokic started by asking a question she’s been hearing a lot: “What happened to her? I can barely recognize her.” She then went on to answer that question in detail, sharing her experiences as a refugee, survivor of domestic violence, and someone who battled anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She also explained that she was beaten and called derogatory names by her father since childhood, and almost committed suicide.
Despite all of these challenges, Dokic managed to achieve great things, including being a Grand Slam semifinalist and the fourth-ranked women’s tennis player in the world. She also became a bestselling author, commentator, and speaker. She emphasized that her size and weight don’t define her worth or success.
Dokic shared two images of herself, one when she was a size 4 and one when she was a size 16. She explained that the smaller size was when she was scared, beaten unconscious, and suffered from bulging shins due to being kicked all night. The larger size, on the…
