Jelena Dokic opens up about the double standard of body-shaming critics

She's one of Australia's most loved tennis players and commentators. But for years, Yelena Dokic has been targeted by cruel online trolls. She's now calling out those body shamers online, declaring beauty is not a number on the scale. She joins us now live from Melbourne. Yelena, so good to see you. Now you know how much we love you on this show. Thank you. This online abuse you're experiencing every day, it is just disgraceful. I can't believe you're, you're so resilient through it all. Thank you. Thank you team, and thank you for having me. And you're always so supportive. Yeah, it's not easy. I'm not the only one that goes through it. I think pretty much every single person that's in the spotlight or has a public profile unfortunately goes through it and especially women when it comes to body shaming and body image. But look, I'm a tough cookie, but I still want to fight the good fight and, and I want to stand up for myself, but even more so for other people to know that it's OK to be yourself. And sometimes in this society and, and social media, you feel like you're too tall, you're too short, you're too big, you're too small and you feel like nothing is good enough. And you feel like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. So I think it's really important to continue to call that out. It's, I mean, someone of your strength. I'm going through this and, and having to deal with it, it makes me worry for kids who don't have any support out there. You recently made a post about your weight loss and said you'll never hide no matter what size you are, which is a great message. You also called out the called out the body shamers. Why have you decided to take that approach? I've decided to do it because I think by being open and having that open conversation we we remove all the shame and stigma around it and we normalise it. I have always been very open whether I'm a size 4 or whether I'm a size 20 and I've always said I will walk with my head held high regardless, no matter what. I've been out there in the spotlight in the middle of the Australian Open when I've had both sizes and and all in between. But you kind of feel like if you go and you try your, your size changes and you go up or you go down, someone will always not be happy. And I think ultimately I want to send a message of kindness. I want to send a message of us being good people. It's very easy to be behind a keyboard and write something mean and nasty. It's become the norm where we don't actually mean people. We we meet people and we probably wouldn't tell them to their face, but we do behind the keyboard. So the message is if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. But let people be who they are and and let people decide for the themselves what defines them and what beauty is. I think we, we live in a society and, and this social media world where you are defined by the number on the scale and by your size. And it shouldn't be that. It should be whether you are kind and a good person. So I just want to continue spreading that message. And, and like you said as well, it's about the younger generation. I worry about them because they don't have the tools to deal with it. Like I said, I've got pretty tough skin and, and I can do it. But I want them to know that I am out here speaking for them as well and that I support them, that I that I hear them and we just need to continue calling it out. Do you think the message is getting through, Elena? I mean, you, you are that inspiration to so many, many of those young women out there. You're, you're a superstar on the, you know, on, on the tennis court. You're a commentator, you're an author. That's what we should be focusing on. Yes. And I think it's getting out there, definitely in the last couple of years since I've decided to really speak up and be very open about online bullying and online abuse. Absolutely, yes. It's really started a positive conversation and, and the media and journalists and you guys have been amazing, as well as Channel 9 and the Today show and the whole Channel 9 family really talking about that and pointing out what we should be focusing on. And it is, let's say for me, my commentary, my speaking and a lot of the other things I do. So I think it is getting through, but we cannot get complacent. We need to continue calling it out because unfortunately there will always be bullies. There will always be people that abuse you online. So we need to continue. We need to continue to to talk about it. Just like this time around, I've gone on a health journey and I've lost some weight and all of a sudden that's not good enough either because people felt like or a few people felt like I don't stand up now for people that are maybe size 20, which is what I was. So that's why I said you kind of feel like damned if you do, damned if you don't. Well, you are doing an incredible job, Elena, and we absolutely love you and such a pleasure to speak to you always. Thank you so much. Thank you later today. Go well.