Aussie tennis star shows off 45kg weight loss in a bikini

After dropping a whopping 45kg, former Australian tennis champ Jelena Dokic is showing off her new figure.

The 35-year-old shared a photo of herself in a bikini while holidaying in Croatia, telling her Instagram followers that she’d just gone for a morning swim.

The comments section was quickly filled with praise for the athlete, who began her weight loss journey at the end of last year.

“Looking fabulous!! Hard work pays off!!” one person said, while another wrote, “Wow Jelena, your transformation is amazing! You have always been a fighter! A true inspiration!” and a third said, “Omg...such an inspiration Jelena. You look amazing....well done you”.

Former world number four Jelena has gotten back into health and fitness in a big way this year, and began sharing her weight loss journey on Instagram after becoming an ambassador for Jenny Craig in January.

“Working very hard in my workouts 6 days a week, eating right, focused, positive, patient, right mindset, having the right support and trusting the process,” she said at the time.

“The results and improvement is there and noticeable. Getting fit, healthy and so happy.”

Sharing a photo of her progress in March, Jelena said she was hoping to inspire others by being open about her own experience.

“The photo on the left and the start of my weight loss journey is a hard one to post and look at,” she said.

“I was unhealthy and unfit but even more importantly I was so unhappy, with no confidence. I didn’t want to go out of the house and I even turned down work opportunities because I was so insecure and unhappy.”

Since getting back into a health and fitness routine, she reflected, “It’s not just about weight loss either but about having a healthy and balanced lifestyle and developing healthy but sustainable habits for the rest of your life.”

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.