‘Smoking hot’: Jelena Dokic stuns in black at tell-all doco premiere
The former tennis champ turned heads in an elegant off-the-shoulder gown as she debuted her new film.
Tennis champion Jelena Dokic turned heads at the premiere of her documentary, Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, at the Brisbane Film Festival on Sunday.
The 41-year-old, who was the former world number four, took to the red carpet in a stunning floor-length black gown.
The sports star-turned-commentator looked equal parts classy and sexy in an off-the-shoulder dress, which she paired with strappy heels and minimalist jewellery.
She wore a simple pearl pendant necklace and matching earrings and carried her belongings in a sparkly black clutch.
However, the star of the show was Dokic’s bright red lipstick, which was on full display as she beamed from ear to ear while posing for the cameras.
To finish off the classy ensemble, she opted for a middle part and a slick back bun.
Dokic’s tell-all documentary details years of abuse
Sharing her look on Instagram on Sunday night, Dokic wrote: “Wow what a night! World premiere of my documentary officially launched. I am speechless right now. Will post and say more tomorrow, but till then, I will just post this pic.”
The tell-all feature film hits cinemas on November 7 and covers her rise to stardom as well as the dark story that was unfolding behind the scenes.
It details the horrific abuse she experienced from her father, Damir, throughout her playing career, including a brutal incident where he beat her up in the bathroom after losing a match.
“It’s heartbreaking and I think people will find it hard to watch, there’s no getting around that,” Dokic told The Daily Telegraph.
“I don’t blame anyone. I don’t resent anyone. I definitely don’t hate anyone, never would,” she told the masthead. “I don’t necessarily forgive him, but I don’t hate him.”
Praise flows in for the star
In the comments of her post, fans praised the ex-tennis prodigy for her bravery in sharing her story and complimented her red carpet look.
“I’m not crying, you’re crying! This picture represents so much. Beautiful soul,” wrote one.
“Just stunning Jelena,” raved another. “Your smile says everything!”
“An inspiring documentary,” a third added. “The film was very moving and terribly sad but your resilience and grace were the highlight.”
“Looking very elegant tonight,” someone pointed out while another follower said she looked “smoking hot.”
‘Not good enough’: Dokic’s powerful message
Dokic has been extremely vocal about her new-found confidence and has spoken out about her body image in numerous social media posts over the years.
Two weeks ago, she shared an old photo of herself wearing head-to-toe black alongside a recent photo of herself in a bright orange suit looking happy and confident.
“8 years ago → NOW,” she wrote in the caption.
“This is not about WEIGHT or SIZE because I am the same size in both pics. This is about self-worth and confidence.”
She admitted that at the time, she would hide in baggy men’s clothing due to crippling self-doubt and because she “didn’t think [she] was good enough” to wear something nice and colourful or even women’s clothing like dresses or heels.
After being “told and made to feel like I was not good enough”, Dokic says she did a lot of work on herself so that she could be where she is today and someone in the public eye.
“You’re truly an inspiration,” someone wrote on the post, which racked up over 13,000 likes.
“Looks like you are in a great place,” another commented.
Someone else called her a “role model to many,” while a fourth said she was “glowing.”
What led to her weight gain before 20kg loss
In August, Dokic discussed the reasons behind her weight gain that led to her becoming the target of online trolling in an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly.
She said that she reached her breaking point in 2023 due to a busy schedule that forced her to rely on “pick-me-up” foods, resulting in weight gain, as well as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Deciding to take control of her health, Dokic dropped 20kg thanks to small changes over time.
“I stopped eating late at night especially things like burgers, pizza, fries and desserts because they made me feel so sluggish when I would wake up, especially for early morning work and flights,” she revealed.
“So I don’t eat heavy meals at night anymore and I don’t eat after 7pm.”
She now chooses to eat more salads and soups, drinks more water and cuts back on soft drinks.
Exercise also played a significant part as she increased her workouts to pursue a healthier lifestyle.
Despite the impressive transformation, she remains firm that the size and number on the scale “doesn’t define” her.
“My kindness, hard work, humility, loyalty, good heart, resilience, strength in (the) face (of) adversity and fighting spirit does.”
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