12-05-2025
‘I'm going to cry': Jelena Dokic opens up about coming to Australia as a refugee during Nine Postcards appearance
Jelena Dokic has become teary-eyed after opening up about arriving to Australia as a refugee over three decades ago while serving as a guest presenter on Channel Nine's Postcards.
The 42-year-old retired athlete is currently back in the spotlight as part of Channel Nine's sports team covering the upcoming French Open.
Dokic, who lives in Melbourne, recently added to her duties for the network after filling in for the travel series Postcards as a guest presenter.
On Sunday's episode, Dokic took viewers around the culture-rich inner Melbourne suburban Northcote.
During the segment, the retired tennis star began off the main drag at bakery Akimbo Bread before heading to Merri Creek Trail, a scenic route for walkers and cyclists that winds through the leafy landscape.
Jelena then returns to High Street to visit Free to Feed, a social enterprise connecting refugees and locals through the universal language of food.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist became visibly emotional after hearing about the social enterprise's work with refugee communities.
'I was a refugee, I came to Australia when I was 11,' Dokic said.
'It's one person who can help you or understand, or connect with food.
'I'm going to cry.'
Dokic was born in 1983 in the former communist state Yugoslavia before resettling in Serbia and then arriving in Australia as a refugee in 1994.
The 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 glamorous new gig 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.'
