Latest news with #DamirDokic
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie tennis great Jelena Dokic opens up on her 'complicated' relationship with her late father after his recent death
Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic has opened up about the death of her estranged father, Damir Dokic, calling the grief 'difficult and complicated'. The 67-year-old passed away on May 16, 2025, following a decade-long estrangement from his daughter. Jelena made the announcement through a heartfelt social media post, revealing the mixed emotions she felt. 'It is never easy losing a parent and a father, even one you are estranged from,' she wrote. Her words struck a chord with many who have followed her painful family history. Jelena's early tennis success came under the shadow of a deeply troubled relationship with her father. As her coach, Damir was both controlling and abusive, subjecting her to emotional and physical torment behind the scenes. In her memoir Unbreakable, Jelena revealed he once kicked her for losing a match and threatened her with a gun. His violent outbursts extended beyond their household - he was banned from tournaments like Wimbledon for aggressive behaviour. Jelena eventually cut ties in 2002 and has not spoken to her father for nearly ten years. Even so, the moment of his passing hit her with unexpected complexity. 'Maybe not even grief, but more so like closure or a chapter that's kind of finished,' she told NewsWire. She explained she was swamped with work when the news broke and had little space to process the loss. In quieter moments, however, surrounded by her close friends - her 'ride or dies' - Jelena has begun unpacking the layers of that grief. Her childhood was defined by secrets, shame, and silence. She hid her abuse for years, building emotional walls that were hard to tear down. She also struggled to form friendships during her playing days. 'Some victims of and survivors of domestic violence and abuse… are not allowed to make friends,' she said. Jelena was one of them. Her father controlled who she spoke to and isolated her during her most formative years. Now in her 40s, she is slowly rewriting that narrative. She speaks openly about what she endured to help others who may be suffering in silence. 'I always believed I can get to that stage where one day I can smile,' she said. Her journey has not been easy. Jelena has battled depression, PTSD, anxiety, and eating disorders throughout her life. Even now, social media trolls continue to send abuse, but she's learned to deal with them. 'I see one vile sentence, I delete straight away,' she said. Her resilience has become her strength. She's not only survived abuse, but she has emerged as one of Australia's leading voices on mental health, domestic violence, and bullying. Jelena wants people to know they are not alone.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
‘Different type of grief': Jelena Dokic opens up about her father's death, vulnerability and her future
It's been nearly a month since Jelena Dokic announced her abusive father's passing, and she is still trying to work out how she feels. In May, Jelena confirmed the death of her 67-year-old father, Damir, on social media, who subjected her to years of torment, abuse and physical violence on and off the courts. Sitting in the booth of a cafe in Melbourne, the former No. 4 tennis player-turned-commentator and public speaker told NewsWire she knew her father's death 'would happen at some stage' but is still 'working through' her grieving process, which is more complicated than she anticipated. 'I've been estranged from my father for nearly 10 years, and it is what it is,' she said. 'The one thing I'm realising … whether you've had a good experience with a parent or a bad one, it comes with a complicated kind of grief, closure, or the way that chapter ends.' She found out about her estranged father's death while she was 'right in the middle of work and a lot of commitments', leaving her without much room to process the loss. 'For me, it's different type of grief,' she told NewsWire. 'Maybe not even grief, but more so like closure or a chapter that's kind of finished, but from an estranged parent.' But it's in the quiet times with her small circle of friends, who she refers to as her 'ride or dies', where she can peel away the layers and let the grief settle. Growing up concealing the abuse and suffering she lived with every day led to feelings of shame and fear, building up emotional walls to shield her painful experience from others as she tried to fight the battle alone. A self-admitted introvert, it hasn't been easy for her to develop trustworthy and loyal relationships over her career, as a combination of constantly travelling the world in tennis tournaments and the abuse she was subjected to by her father put a pin in any chance of forging meaningful connections with others her own age. 'Some victims of and survivors of domestic violence and abuse … are not allowed to make friends,' she told NewsWire. 'Anyone that gets close, (the abuser will) get rid of them, especially when we're young.' 'Making friends for a very long time was not even possible, but then later it was difficult because I didn't kind of have those social skills,' she said. While she can't turn back the clock, Jelena hopes to inspire others who may be suffering alone, and encourage them to speak out. She is currently in the process of writing a third book – which will hit bookshelves late next year – this time revealing the mindset and self-development she has gained. Jelena has been very outspoken about the abuse she has received over the years, be it from her father through the first two decades of her life, where she was subjected to unnerving physical violence and loathsome verbal attacks, to hateful messages from bullies on social media. She told NewsWire she isn't afraid to 'block and delete' the online trolls that try to weasel in and pollute her positive mission. 'I see one vile sentence, I delete straight away,' she said. 'I don't even read the rest of it, and that's the best way to go about it.' Hit with crashing waves of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and PTSD throughout her life, Jelena has always found a way to stand back up, brush herself off and face every battle head-on, determined to keep moving forward. 'It was my goal in life, especially post-tennis, to do everything with kindness, to do it with grace and dignity,' she said. She wants others who may have experienced or currently living through similar circumstances to know they are 'not alone', and they're braver than they realise. 'I always believed I can get to that stage where one day I can smile, where one day I get through (the abuse) and I … always try to believe that I am worthy and that it's not my fault,' she said. Her strength and passion for raising awareness about mental health, bullying and childhood and domestic violence continues to drive her forward and inspire others to speak out. 'I can't change the world alone, none of us can, but we can change someone's world,' she said. 'If we can change things for that one person and be there for them, be kind and loving and accepting, you can literally not only change someone's life, but save their life.' Jelena is one of two panellists taking part in the QV 50 Awards, which celebrated and brings a spotlight to everyday Aussies who make an impact on the world around them. The QV 50 Awards is honouring three people who have made an effort to care for an individual, the community and other causes, and giving them a chance to win $10,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to the ceremony in Melbourne, which takes place in August 2025. It's a cause close to Jelena's heart. 'For me, it's a massive honour to be a judge, and to be part of a campaign that is so amazing, iconic and Australian,' she said. 'What these QV awards are about is really celebrating … an individual, a community, or a charity that takes care of others.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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." View this post on Instagram A post shared by JELENA DOKIC 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 (@dokic_jelena) 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." View this post on Instagram A post shared by JELENA DOKIC 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 (@dokic_jelena) 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.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tennis world moved by Jelena Dokic's brave act after death of abusive father
Jelena Dokic has been met with an outpouring of praise from tennis fans for her courage in returning to work after revealing last week that her dad Damir had died at the age of 67. The one-time world No. 4 took to social media last Wednesday to reveal in a lengthy and emotional post that her father had passed away. Jelena suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of her father who was also her tennis coach early on in her career. 'As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history,' she posted. '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.' Despite the emotional turmoil, Dokic was back at work on Sunday night, leading Channel 9's coverage of the French Open. Fans took to social media to praise Dokic for her bravery at such a difficult time. 'Thank God she is BACK.' posted one fan. 'You are inspirational and a brilliant role model. Love your work,' replied another. 'Hope you are going ok working after your recent loss, thinking of you and sending love,' posted a third. Damir, who was his daughter's tennis coach early on in her career, garnered a reputation in the tennis community for having a fierce temper and was kicked out of four grand slam tournaments within a 12 month period alone. In September 2000, the man once dubbed the 'tennis father from hell' was kicked out and banned from the US Open over in a bizarre incident that started as a dispute over a $10 piece of salmon. Damir verbally abused a food service worker in the players' lounge at the National Tennis Centre after objecting to the price and size of a portion of salmon he was served. The dispute escalated when the tennis coach threw the fish at the female worker. Jelena recalled the incident in the Channel Nine documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, adapted from her 2017 memoir of the same name. Footage aired in the documentary showed the tournament's head of security Pete Pistone escorting Damir into the parking lot. 'Please don't touch me,' Damir said while resisting. He then turned aggressive and branding the security guard a 'f**ing idiot'. Jelena was just 17 at the time. 'I started to get really overwhelmed and emotional, and I started crying,' she recalled. 'For me, this was an everyday thing. It was just hell, but now it was also very public. Mr Pistone is believed to have said 'I've never seen a crazier mother f***er in the world' in reference to Damir. The embarrassing incident was one in a long line of aggressive moments courtesy of the tennis legend's father. Earlier that same year, Damir was accused of attacking a cameraman at the Australian Open. Five months later, Damir was escorted by police from Wimbledon for drunkenly parading around a flag and smashing a reporter's phone shortly after his daughter won a match. He was seen drinking heavily prior to the match before walking around the arena waving a cross of St George and shouting slogans such as 'the Women's Association are fascists and political' and 'the Queen is for democracy, everything else in this country is fascist'. As bemused tennis fans looked on, Damir then approached the main press building where he became involved in a heated conversation with journalists before smashing a mobile phone. The following year at the Australian Open, Damir claimed there were irregularities in the draw following Jelena's first round loss to US star Lindsay Davenport. 'I think the draw is fixed just for her,' he claimed. Damir was banned from the tournament due to abusive behavior. In 2009, he was jailed for 15 months after threatening to kill the Australian ambassador to Serbia with a grenade launcher after heavily armed police arrested him and confiscated an arsenal of weapons that included two homemade bombs. The sentence was later reduced to 12 months following a second appeal. In the documentary about her life, Jelena bravely opened up about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and the pressure she felt to win as Damir would inflict regular beatings. Watching footage of herself play in the documentary, she said: 'I'm 16 years old here. I was playing the No. 1 Martina Hingis and I knew if I lost the consequences were catastrophic. 'One day after I lost I knew what was going to happen... I was starting to feel really broken inside. 'There was not an inch of skin that wasn't bruised. I'm 17 and through his actions, [I] became the most hated person.' In another harrowing incident, she detailed her father kicking her head until she lost consciousness after she lost a match.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jelena Dokic is seen for the first time since announcing the death of her abusive father as she jets into Brisbane
Jelena Dokic is seen for the first time since announcing the death of her abusive father as she jets into Brisbane READ MORE: Jelena Dokic cuddles up to mystery man at Melbourne Airport Jelena Dokic has stepped out for the first time since revealing that her estranged dad Damir Dokic has died. The Australian tennis legend turned commentator, 42, was seen jetting into Brisbane Airport on Friday, just two days after announcing that her father had passed away. The sports commentator was dressed casually in black pants, a jumper and a white jacket as she waited by the carousel. She completed her look with a pair of white sneakers and wore large headphones as she walked through the airport. Jelena tied her locks up as she made her way to an awaiting car. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Jelena Dokic has stepped out for the first time since revealing that her estranged dad Damir Dokic has died The Australian tennis legend turned commentator was seen jetting into Brisbane Airport on Friday, just two days after announcing her father had passed away The one-time world No. 4 took to social media on Wednesday to reveal in a lengthy and emotional post that her 67-year-old father had passed away. Jelena suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of her father who was also her tennis coach early on in her career. 'As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history,' she began. '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.' Jelena admitted she had conflicting and complex emotions as she shared a childhood photo of her as a little girl cuddling up to her dad, who she hadn't spoken to in 10 years. 'For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture,' she continued. '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.' The sports commentator was dressed casually in black pants, a jumper and a white jacket She completed her look with a pair of white sneakers for the flight Jelena tied her locks up as she made her way to an awaiting car The tennis star ended the post with 'RIP'. Damir and his wife Ljiljana had Jelena in 1983 and later their son Salvo. The family moved from Croatia to Australia when Jelena was 11 years old. Jelena suffered abuse at the hands of her father from the age of six when she took up tennis, with the abuse continuing as she flew up the ranks as a teenage prodigy. She was widely lauded for her bravery and courage in the Channel Nine documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, adapted from her 2017 memoir of the same name. Jelena recalled how she felt pressure to win as Damir would inflict regular beatings. 'I'm 16 years old here. I was playing the No. 1 Martina Hingis and I knew if I lost the consequences were catastrophic,' she said while watching footage of herself play. 'One day after I lost I knew what was going to happen... I was starting to feel really broken inside. 'There was not an inch of skin that wasn't bruised. I'm 17 and through his actions, [I] became the most hated person.' The tennis star wore large headphones as she walked through the airport At one point, Jelena was seen waiting by the carousel for her bags She took to social media on Wednesday to reveal in a lengthy and emotional post that her 67-year-old father had passed away In one of the most shocking accounts, she detailed her father kicking her head until she lost consciousness after she lost a match. Over the years, Damir's angry temperament was evident on several occasions, including when he lost his temper at the US Open cafeteria over the price of fish. He also broke a female reporter's phone at Wimbledon. In 2009, he was jailed for 15 months after threatening to blow up the Australian ambassador to Serbia and illegal possession of weapons. After speaking out on the abuse, Jelena opened up on the last time she spoke to him over 10 years ago. Speaking on Nova 100's 'Jase & Lauren' radio show in Melbourne, she said: 'I don't think we even really fought that very last time. 'It was the fact that you realise that, and this might sound extreme, but it is for people that either grow up without parents or parents that are not supportive, is the fact that you realise someone just doesn't have your back, and that your parents actually don't love you.' Jelena said she 'had to draw a line in the sand' with her 'toxic' father. Jelena suffered abuse at the hands of her father from the age of six when she took up tennis, with the abuse continuing as she flew up the ranks as a teenage prodigy She was widely lauded for her bravery and courage in the Channel Nine documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, adapted from her 2017 memoir of the same name Jelena recalled how she felt pressure to win as Damir would inflict regular beatings Over the years, Damir's angry temperament was evident on several occasions, including when he lost his temper at the US Open cafeteria over the price of fish Last November, she told the Telegraph she felt 'incredible freedom' having told her story. 'It gave me a voice. It gave me the power to reclaim my life. I've never been happier,' she said. 'I was not silenced for the very first time in my life. And incredible freedom comes with that.' She admitted while she may never forgive her father, she didn't 'hate' him. 'I don't blame anyone. I don't resent anyone. I definitely don't hate anyone, never would,' Jelena told the Daily Telegraph. 'I'm not bitter about it. Even to my father, which people find surprising. But I don't hate him. I don't necessarily forgive him, but I don't hate him.'
