Jelena Dokic stuns in red dress as slimmed-down tennis star's biography wins big at 23rd Annual Screen Producer Awards
On Friday, the retired athlete, 42, took to Instagram to share a stunning photo of herself holding her Feature Documentary Production of the Year award for Unbreakable at the Gold Coast, Queensland event on Thursday.
Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, which aired in 2024, chronicles Dokic's life from surviving war and poverty to becoming a world-renowned tennis player, and the alleged abuse she endured at the hands of her father and coach Damir.
In her photo, Dokic, who lives in Melbourne, beamed in a red sparkling off-the-shoulder gown by Australian designer Silvana Tedesco.
She pinned her brown locks into a neat bun and flashed her signature wide smile to the camera.
"WINNER. WINNER. WINNER," the star wrote in the caption.
"We did it. Winner of the 'Feature Documentary Production of the Year Award at the 23rd Annual Screen Producer Awards for my number 1 documentary UNBREAKABLE-THE JELENA DOKIC STORY."
The former athlete also thanked several of her supporters, including Screen Producers Australia and her IMG Talent agent, David.
"Without you, all this would never have happened," she said.
"You all believed in my story and bringing it to screen and you all made it happen.
"Thank you so much for the belief and the incredible hard work behind the scenes. We did it.
"More pics of the night, this gorgeous dress, stunning jewellery and amazing glam to come."
Dokic's fans flooded the comments sections to congratulate the star on her success.
"Congratulations to you and all involved in the production! A deserving win for such an incredible story," one person said.
"Congratulations on the win and that stunning dress, looking beautiful," another person said.
"Sooo well deserved," one more person said.
The Croatian-born Aussie tennis star was just 16 years old when she advanced to the semifinal at Wimbledon in 2000 and reached a peak of World No. 4 in 2002.
Privately, the star allegedly suffered abuse at the hands of her father and coach Damir Dokic, which culminated in the player firing her father and rebooting her career.
In 2009, Dokic enjoyed an unforgettable run at the Australian Open after entering the draw as a wildcard and ultimately advancing all the way to the quarter finals before retiring in 2014.
In a December 2023 interview, Jelena said she has been estranged from her father for more than 10 years, and claimed he has never apologised for his alleged verbal, emotional and physical abuse.
The retired tennis star's big win comes months after Dokic opened up about her weight loss journey.
In March, Dokic posted a side-by-side comparison of her before-and-after weight loss, musing that she is the 'same hardworking person' regardless of her weight.
'What is the difference between the two images?' she wrote.
'Nothing except what you see on the outside, my BODY SIZE.
'I am the same hardworking person, respectful, generous, empathetic, compassionate, humble, kind, driven, strong, resilient, capable and loving person, woman and friend.'
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News.com.au
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