Jelena Dokic reflects on abuse, survival and her enduring love for tennis

Jelena Dokic says a life marked by abuse, displacement and mental health struggles never took away her love for tennis, and that speaking publicly about her experiences ultimately changed her life.

The former world No 4, who was abused physically and psychologically by her father, has previously spoken about suffering from depression, an eating disorder and suicidal thoughts. Born in Croatia, then part of the former Yugoslavia, she moved to Serbia before settling in Australia, having been a refugee twice.

Despite severe difficulties away from the court, Dokic achieved major results as a teenager. In 1999, aged 16, she defeated defending champion Martina Hingis in the first round at Wimbledon. A year later, she reached the semi-finals there and narrowly missed an Olympic medal at the Sydney Games.

This May marks 25 years since the biggest title of her career, her Italian Open victory in Rome. At 18, she beat Amelie Mauresmo in the final. She added two more titles that year, three more the following season, and climbed to world No 4 in August 2002. She later said the well-documented behaviour of her father, Damir, who died last year, derailed her career.

Speaking at the Australian Open earlier this year, Dokic said tennis remained central to her life. “It’s a tough sport, travelling 10 months a year,” Dokic says. “You start playing at four, five, six years of age. But just like any sport, those are the hours you put in if you love something that you do.

“I love my role now completely, doing what I do in talking tennis, it’s a big passion of mine. I will always love tennis and always have. Even in my worst moments, absolutely. And if anyone ever asked me, ‘what about my kid playing professionally, or even to play for fun’, I always say ‘do it’. It’s a great sport.”

Dokic said she takes pride in having been able to demonstrate her tennis ability despite the abuse she was experiencing. She detailed that abuse in two books and, most recently, in the 2024 documentary Unbreakable. Rather than blaming others, she said she considers herself fortunate to have survived and to be in a position to help other people.

“I’m extremely lucky to be here,” she says. “Many are not, and many you will never hear about … have never maybe been able to fulfil their dream and their talent. If you look at all the champions, grand slam champions, No 1s in the world in any sport, they have had incredible [family] support. You can’t go without that, and you can’t even get close to the top if you don’t have that.

“I wanted to show parents, to show coaches, and to show the world in general, there was this narrative for a very long time that if you’re really, really tough on your kid, and actually if you abuse them, then that creates champions. But it is such a wrong narrative.”

Dokic now works as an on-court interviewer and television pundit in Australia and campaigns for victims of domestic abuse. She said speaking out publicly gave her freedom and helped save her life.

“I found so much strength in actually speaking up, in being an advocate, in not being ashamed of your life and what you go through,” she says. “I think owning your story and being authentic about it, yeah, it’s brought happiness to me. It’s actually saved my life.

“I say the day that my book came out was the best day of my life by far, and that’s a big statement, because yes, I’ve had the lows, but I’ve also had incredible highs in my life, personally and professionally. But nothing will ever compare to that, the freedom that comes with being open about your story, about who you are, about what you’ve gone through. It’s life-saving.”

Dokic, 43, said she has a new partner and remains open to adoption in the future, although the couple do not plan to start a family now.

“I still am open to adoption in a couple of years, potentially, absolutely,” she says. “It’s always been kind of on my mind. I think I can give so much love to a kid that will potentially go through a tough time, be an orphan, maybe not have that love and support. I’ve always felt like I can give a lot of that, and I love kids, so I’m still open to that idea, absolutely.”

In Australia, domestic and family violence counselling is available from Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.