A Year After Contemplating Suicide, 43YO Former Aussie Tennis Player Breaks Down as Mental Health Agony Overwhelms Her

Jelena Dokic, one of Australia’s top tennis players, has endured much hardship for the sake of her mental health. While the 40-year-old former tennis player was striving to be the best athlete she could be, her haters were only concerned with her body and pointed fingers at her at every stage of her life. Even now, after retiring from the tennis circuit, the terror of dealing with mental illness has not left her.

As a victim of body shaming and criticism, the Australian has always been honest about her mental health challenges, inspiring people to live their lives with optimism. Recently, the former world number-four emphasized the significance of not ‘hiding emotional suffering’.

An ex-WTA star emphasizes not hiding emotional suffering 

Jelena Dokic has been quite open about her own struggles with mental health for the past few years, trying to help other victims. Last year, after a nerve-wracking incident involving suicidal thoughts, she shared a powerful mental health message, urging people not to hide any emotions.

She took to her Instagram account to share a teary-eyed picture of herself, revealing how sometimes it’s important to call for help rather than keeping things buckled up inside. In the post, she opens up about an incident when she called a friend for help.

According to the Daily mail, she also shared a message for her fans regarding how there is no shame in asking for help from near and dear ones. Dokic added, “Know it’s ok to say that you are not ok and to let it all out and cry. Openly. So this is my message to you if you are struggling, healing, or dealing with trauma. Never be embarrassed to struggle.” 

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This is not the first time she has shared a part of her mental health struggle with the world. Last year, she opened up about the time when she nearly took her own life. After her traumatizing revelation, she also received tremendous love and support from 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert.

When Chris Evert sent a touching message to Dokic 

Last year, the former fourth-ranked tennis player revealed how she almost took her own life during her struggles with mental health. Dokic now works as a commentator on Australian TV, revealing in an Instagram post that she’s constantly battling feelings of sadness and pain that literally made her almost jump off a 26th-floor balcony.

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Upon this traumatic revelation, former American legend Chris Evert took to her Twitter account to share a supportive message. Evert appreciated the 40-year-old former tennis player as a strong woman, sending her tremendous love and support. With each step of life, Dokic is trying to make things better for herself and for the people around her.