Tennis world blown away as Jelena Dokic makes brave move amid 'difficult' time
Tennis fans are showering Jelena Dokic with praise after the Aussie icon made a brave return to work with Channel 9 this week following the death of her father. Dokic revealed last week that estranged father Damir had died at the age of 67.
Dokic hadn't spoken to her father for 10 years, and has spoken publicly on numerous occasions about some of the shocking abuse he inflicted on her. The former World No.4 admitted to "conflicting and complex" feelings about Damir's death and said "it's never easy losing a parent and a father, even one you are estranged from."
She wrote in a social media post: "As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history. Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from.
"The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief. It's an end of a chapter and life as I know it. There are lots of conflicting and complex emotions and feelings for me.
"For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture. And as always and especially important to who I am as a person and what I want to stand for which is respect, grace, kindness, dignity and empathy, I will and want to be that person in this situation too."
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Considering the difficult time she'd be going through, Dokic could be forgiven for shying away from the public spotlight. But she was back at work with Channel 9 on Sunday night, leading the network's coverage of the French Open at Roland Garros.
Fans flocked to social media to commend Dokic on the brave move. One person wrote: "Thank God she is BACK." While another commented: "Hope you are going ok working after your recent loss, thinking of you and sending love."
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It was a mixed night for the Aussies on the second day at Roland Garros, with Ajla Tomljanovic, Alexei Popyrin and Daria Kasatkina winning through. But the Aussie contingent lost Aleksandar Vukic, Chris O'Connell, Daria Saville, Kim Birrell and Jordan Thompson.
Tomljanovic turned the tables on compatriot Maya Joint, winning 6-1 6-3 after retiring hurt against Joint on her march to the Morocco Open title last weekend. Asked if she had a point to prove, Tomljanovic explained: "My coach kind of gave me a really good pep talk - 'You've got to get angry, get determined' - and it really worked today.
"Maya had been playing so well, I had a few days to think about it and knew if I don't come out this way on the attack, it's going to be really tough. It's just nice to see everything pay off when I play the right way."
Kastakina, playing her first grand slam tournament since switching allegiance from Russia in March, got the better of Czech opponent Katerina Siniakova, 6-1 3-6 6-2. And Popyrin ended a run of five-straight opening-round losses at Roland Garros when Yoshihito Nishioka retired hurt while trailing 5-7 4-6 2-1.
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