Jelena Dokic slams 'disgusting' and 'evil' online trolls for calling her a 'whale' who needs to 'cut down on snacks'
By Natalie Oliveri|
Australian tennis star Jelena Dokic has called out the "evil" and "insane" abuse she's been subject to by online trolls directed at her body and image.
In recent days the ?39-year-old was called a "whale" by one user, while another said, "what the hell happened to you, you need to cut down on the snacks".
And, Dokic says, many of the comments are coming from women.
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"So much for women supporting women," she wrote in a lengthy post addressing the issue on Monday.
?Dokic is part of Nine's Australian Open commentary team, a role that has made her an easy target.
She chose to share a number of the "disgusting" messages sent in the past few days, saying those people "should be so ashamed".
Dokic is not new to this kind of vitriol.
?She's spoken openly about her body issues in the past and last year took to Instagram to highlight the "serious problem...and one that women face all the time".
"I can't believe I have to address this again," she said in 2022.
And now she's here again, after a heart-warming exchange with Novak Djokovic went viral at the weekend.
During an on-court interview with the Serbian player on Saturday, Dokic จC who also comes from Serbia จC recalled meeting him as a teenager in Melbourne in 2006.
She admitted not knowing who he was then but joked, "I definitely know who you are now".
That brief exchange with the 21-time champion has since been overshadowed by abuse.
"The most common comment being 'what happened to her, she is so big'?" Dokic wrote on Instagram.
"I will tell you what happened, I am finding a way and surviving and fighting.
"And it really doesn't matter what I am doing and what happened because size shouldn't matter."
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Dokic shared a number of screenshots of the messages she has received?, including one that said she had been "eating all the baklava".
In response Dokic said: "Kindness and being a good person matters which those of you that abuse me and others, are clearly not.?
"Weight will change but evil people will remain evil. I am here, fighting for all those out there being abused, fat shamedกญ.I can't change the world but I am going to continue speaking up, calling this behaviour out, using my platform for something good and to support other people out there and to give others a voice and try to make others feel less alone and scared."
Dokic used the opportunity to thank those who had reached out to support her.
"Love you all, even the trolls because you give me so much motivation and inspiration to do what I do and to fight against people like you.?"
In 2019, Dokic spoke to 9Honey about her long-time battle with weight, ?something that is common for retired athletes.
Dokic retired in 2014, after reaching a career-high ranking of number four.
She was behind one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon's history when she knocked out then-world number one Martina Hingis in the opening round of the 1999 tournament, aged just 16 and then ranked 129th in the world.
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"It's very different eating as a professional athlete to eating as a normal person," Dokic told 9Honey.
"I struggled with my food, I struggled stopping being an athlete จC it was very different going from training six to seven hours a day to not having that anymore and just going back into real life. It became a lot more quiet, no more travel and not having that hectic lifestyle which I actually liked.
"When you retire as a professional athlete you don't really know anything else."
She also drew link between her weight issues and the impact of her abusive childhood, caused by her father, Damir.
Dokic shared horrific details about her childhood in her 2017 book Unbreakable.
Days ago, online trolls lashed out at Dokic for speaking about her past, saying others had been through "a lot worse than her".
The troll added that she "actually should be grateful that her dad actually pushed her otherwise she wouldn't be where she is today".
Dokic slammed the comment as "disgusting, disgraceful and shameful"?.
"Even though I can read this type of stuff and not be too affected, it still made me upset for a minute," she wrote.
"It triggered me and what I went through. I am fine and I can take it but there are so many people and especially women and young girls that can't.
"Think about that the next time you want to write something mean, cruel or abusive especially about someone you know nothing about.
"Your message and what you say and write can really affect someone out there and their wellbeing."
If you or someone you know needs help call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit The Butterfly Foundation ?
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