featured-image

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. , the former professional tennis player; a seriously strong tennis commentator and best-selling author has faced and for years. But seriously, why? Why does the successful 41-year-old Jelena, who has publicly admitted to an childhood, a , mental health issues and , feel the need to justify her recent, health-related weight loss? The Aussie tennis great was the lowest-ranked player (129) to ever oust a top seed in a grand slam when she beat Martina Hingis in straight sets at Wimbledon in 1999 and even went on to become a world Number 4 before retiring from the circuit in 2013.

Jelena has been very open about the abuse she suffered from her father, Damir Dokic, which kept her personal life and her name in the public eye and her candid discussions about her traumatic experiences have drawn both sympathy and criticism, as some people never fully understood her situation. But it has been her transition to commentary and media where she has risen above all and shone brightly - her knowledge and level-headedness world-class. And she’s wryly funny.



In that dry, eastern European way I got to know only too well with a Czech father. While her busy life goes on, to think Jelena had to address trolls and reasons for weight loss seems ludicrous. Despite her talent, we know public figures, particularly those with a tumultuous personal history are frequently judged harshly.

If a public face is one day tagged "overweight", the next minute, they’re .

Back to Entertainment Page