Tennis star Jelena Dokic has radiated happiness this week, sharing intimate glimpses of her romantic holiday in Bali with her partner, Yane Veselinov. The 42-year-old former champion posted a series of sun-drenched images to her Instagram story on Tuesday, showcasing the couple's idyllic escape to the Indonesian island.
Bali Bliss and Cultural Exploration
Dokic's social media updates painted a picture of pure contentment. One photograph captured the couple in a close embrace, posing before the majestic Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue. Another showed them both beaming with joy as they explored the sights of the expansive Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. "Bali with my love," was the simple, heartfelt caption Jelena used to accompany the romantic snapshot.
A third image featured a serene Jelena posing solo on the cultural park's steps, with the scene framed dramatically by massive limestone cliffs. For her day of sightseeing, she cut a stylish, summery figure in a sleeveless lemon-yellow dress, accentuated with a large black belt cinched at the waist.
When she shared one of the solo photos to her main Instagram grid, followers were quick to compliment her relaxed and natural appearance. "À la natural! You look so relaxed," one fan commented, while another added a festive, "Merry Christmas. And it's so lovely seeing you happy."
Confronting a Torrent of AI Fake News
This display of holiday joy comes in the wake of Dokic taking a firm stand against a barrage of fabricated social media posts concerning her personal life. The tennis champion recently used her platform to slam a fake, AI-generated post that falsely claimed she was expecting a baby with Veselinov.
Sharing the bogus image to her Instagram story, she wrote, "Not true, fake news. The lengths some media and fake news will go to Photoshop or use AI and make up something that is so serious. Incredible." She pointed out the poor quality of the forgery, noting, "By the way this doesn’t even look like me, so you could have at least done a better job with the Photoshop."
The deceptive post featured a doctored image of Jelena and Yane smiling while holding an ultrasound picture. She condemned the creation as "ridiculous but concerning of the world we live in."
In a separate but equally disturbing incident, Dokic also hit back at another AI-generated post that falsely referenced a recent surgery. This fake article, purporting to be from a site called Celeb News, showed a fabricated image of a bald Jelena in a hospital bed with a headline about a 'large' uterine growth.
Her response was unequivocal, labelling the post "absolutely disgusting, appalling and evil." She expressed her horror at the "magnitude of fake news, photoshop and AI," explaining the image falsely depicted her as both sick in hospital and pregnant. "I don’t know how someone can do this and be ok with it," she stated, calling the act "terrible."
A New Chapter of Love and Happiness
Amidst this chaos, Dokic's real-life romance continues to flourish. She went Instagram-official with her new beau, Yane Veselinov, back in July, posting a tender tribute that read, "You are my calm, safe, peaceful and happy place. So glad I found you."
The relationship first came to public attention in May when the pair were photographed sharing a warm, affectionate embrace at Melbourne Airport. This new love marks a significant and happy turn for Jelena, who revealed late last year that she had been "closed off" to finding love following her split from long-term partner Tin Bikic in 2021, after nearly 19 years together.
Her current Bali getaway, filled with genuine moments of joy and cultural discovery, stands in stark contrast to the fabricated narratives circulating online, highlighting her resilience and commitment to celebrating real happiness.
