Former tennis star turned beloved sports commentator Jelena Dokic has revealed she was rushed to the emergency room just an hour after wrapping up her coverage of the US Open.
Posting candidly on Instagram, the 41-year-old revealed she had been battling a large uterine fibroid, a non-cancerous growth in the uterus, that suddenly flared up and caused intense pain and heavy bleeding.
“When you end up in the emergency room an hour after finishing the day’s US Open coverage,” she wrote alongside a photo of her from hospital, adding, “Thankful that I will be ok.”
“I have a pretty big fibroid… It was dismissed as nothing major,” she said. “And while that can be the case, yes, a lot of cases will also be affected more than others by the size of it, pain, flare ups and bleeding. Which is what happened to me.”
The tennis icon, who has been vocal about her struggles both on and off the court, used the moment to urge women not to ignore their symptoms – no matter how minor they may seem.
“The last few months something felt off. Something wasn’t right,” she wrote. “Follow your instincts and gut feeling. If something feels off, don’t ignore it.”
Jelena revealed she has been advised to undergo surgery later this year to remove the fibroid, but in the meantime, she is focusing on managing the pain and symptoms.
“Don’t ignore pain. Regular checkups are crucial for early detection and can save your life,” she said. “And most importantly, never allow anyone to tell you that it’s nothing. You know yourself best.”
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