At the end of October, 28-year-old French tennis player Océane Dodin had her first match of the season after almost 10 months without playing. She had previously paused her career to deal with health issues — and to fulfill a long-held dream. The athlete underwent breast augmentation surgery.
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TelecomAsia Sport introduces you to Océane Dodin, the French player who became the first in tennis to openly undergo breast enlargement.
Treating her ear — and enhancing her breasts
Océane Dodin was never considered a standout player. Over her entire career, she has won only one WTA title and never ranked higher than No. 46 in the world. Her best result remains reaching the round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament.
After a long break, which lasted from December 2024, Dodin decided to return to the tour — with a noticeable change in appearance. The tennis player is now the proud owner of a size four bust.
The career break, however, wasn’t originally about this. For years, she had struggled with an inner ear condition that caused frequent dizziness. By the end of 2024, Dodin tried competing only on indoor courts, since wind made her symptoms worse outdoors. The condition also took a toll on her mentally. While the problem hasn’t fully disappeared, her situation has improved significantly.
The time off proved beneficial in more ways than one. Océane decided not to waste her months away from tennis and finally go through with the surgery she’d been dreaming about for years. She believes it was better to do it now than wait until after retirement.
Why did she decide to do it?
“I decided to take advantage of my break. You can’t play for two months after getting implants, so it’s impossible to do it during the season. I have no regrets. Everyone told me, ‘You won’t be able to play.’ As if I’d installed melons in my chest,” Dodin joked.
The Frenchwoman insists that a larger chest won’t stop her from playing tennis. She plans to wear a specially designed sports bra to ensure full comfort and mobility. Before the procedure, she consulted extensively with her surgeon to minimize any potential risks. After a thorough examination, he gave her the green light.
My surgeon knows me really well — he even came to watch me at Roland-Garros. We’re friends. We discussed in detail where the implants should be placed so they wouldn’t interfere, the importance of proper support bras, and all those girly things. He assured me everything would be fine.
Compared to Halep and mocked online
The questions about how she’d manage to play with implants weren’t random — many remember Simona Halep, who had breast reduction surgery early in her career because her chest interfered with her game. Dodin says the comparison makes no sense: “She had a very, very large chest that genuinely made it hard for her to play.”
Due to her long break, Dodin’s ranking dropped drastically — she slipped to No. 363 after once being in the Top 50. Just a few days ago, she won her first match of the season at the Reims tournament and now aims to climb back up the rankings.
Her story hasn’t gone unnoticed on social media. Fans flooded her pages with comments — some joking that tennis now has a “new kind of serve,” while others quipped that Dodin now has “two Grand Slams.”
Océane Dodin is set to become the first tennis player to compete professionally with breast implants. Today, she says she’s happy and confident, and doesn’t regret her choice — after all, her dream has finally come true. Her sports story isn’t over yet: she’s back on court, stepping into a new life with a new look.
