Former world No 4 Jelena Dokic has spoken about her journey from tennis stardom to becoming a respected pundit and advocate for domestic abuse victims. The Australian, who suffered physical and psychological abuse from her father Damir, says she is 'extremely lucky to be here' after contemplating suicide during her darkest moments.
Dokic, now 43, rose to fame in 1999 when she defeated defending champion Martina Hingis at Wimbledon aged 16. She reached the semi-finals there the following year and won the Italian Open in 2000. At her peak in August 2002, she was ranked world No 4. Despite the well-documented abuse from her father, who died last year, Dokic says she has never lost her love for tennis.
'I love my role now completely, doing what I do in talking tennis, it's a big passion of mine,' she said during the Australian Open. 'Even in my worst moments, absolutely. And if anyone ever asked me, 'what about my kid playing professionally', I always say 'do it'.'
Dokic has detailed her experiences in two books and a 2024 documentary, 'Unbreakable'. She now works as a tennis pundit and interviewer for Australian television, and campaigns for victims of domestic abuse. She says speaking openly about her life has been 'life-saving'.
'I found so much strength in actually speaking up, in being an advocate, in not being ashamed of your life,' she said. 'I think owning your story and being authentic about it, yeah, it's brought happiness to me. It's actually saved my life.'
Dokic, who has a new partner, says she is open to adoption in the future. 'I think I can give so much love to a kid that will potentially go through a tough time,' she added.
