Former tennis ace and Dancing With The Stars contestant Monica Seles has spoken out for the first time about her lengthy battle with an eating disorder.

The 35-year-old began binge-eating soon after she was knifed in the shoulder by a fan during a match with Steffi Graf in 1993.

She says, "Food became my best friend. I was lonely and I would just eat. It was my coping mechanism. Food was how I dealt with stress."

But the star realized she had finally won her battle after appearing on the sixth season of hit TV series Dancing With The Stars in 2008, when even fierce criticism by the shows judges didn't tempt her to gorge on food.

She adds, "I cried - but I did not go back to my old habits."

Monica Seles Photos

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)