Latest news with #MentalAsAnyone
Sky News AU
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'End of a chapter': Jelena Dokic is seen for the first time since announcing the death of her abusive father Damir Dokic as she jets into Brisbane
Jelena Dokic has been seen in public for the first time since announcing the death of her estranged father, Damir Dokic, aged 67. The 42-year-old former tennis champion looked subdued as she arrived at Brisbane Airport on Friday, just two days after revealing the news of her father's passing. She kept her outfit casual, wearing a beige jacket over a fluffy blue sweater, navy trousers and Adidas sneakers. Her hair was tied up in a top knot, and she appeared fresh-faced with no makeup. Dokic, who now works as a sports commentator for Channel Nine, broke the news on Wednesday with a poignant Instagram post, which included a childhood photo of herself with her father and former coach. "My father passed away in the late hours on 16.05.2025," she wrote. "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." Dokic expressed that, despite the pain, she wanted to focus on a fond memory with her father. The image she posted shows Jelena as a toddler, with Damir wrapping his arms around her and holding her hand. "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," she continued. She concluded by asking for privacy as she and her family grieve. "Thank you to so many of you for checking in on me over the last few days and for being here for me while I navigate this difficult and complicated situation," she wrote. "And my final words. RIP." Born in 1983 in the former Yugoslavia, Dokic later resettled in Serbia before arriving in Australia as a refugee with her parents and younger brother in 1994. Her rise in tennis was meteoric, reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon at just 16 and achieving a career-high world ranking of No. 4 in 2002. Behind the scenes, however, she endured years of abuse at the hands of her father, who was also her coach. Their relationship ultimately broke down, with Dokic cutting ties and continuing her career without him. In 2023, she confirmed that she had been estranged from Damir for more than a decade and that he had never apologised for the abuse, which she has described as verbal, emotional and physical. Earlier this month, obtained exclusive footage of Dokic at Melbourne Airport looking affectionate with a mystery man- just weeks after she publicly shared her desire to start a family. Dokic split from her long-time partner Tin Bukic in late 2022 after nearly 20 years together. Speaking recently on the Mental As Anyone podcast, she opened up about how the breakup disrupted her plans to become a mother. "I was in a relationship for almost 19 years from the age of 20 and right when we split up, we were about to start trying for a family," she said. "I actually think I would be a good mum to be honest, I love kids."
Sky News AU
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Jelena Dokic spotted with mystery man at Melbourne Airport after revealing plans to start a family
Retired tennis star Jelena Dokic has been spotted cosying up with a man at the Melbourne Airport arrivals hall just weeks after revealing plans to start a family. The 42-year-old looked visibly elated as she touched down at Melbourne Airport earlier this month and embraced a man seen eagerly awaiting her arrival inside the terminal. In footage obtained by Dokic runs her fingers along the side of the mystery man's torso before they walked out into the pickup zone of the airport. Dokic split from her previous partner, Brazilian-born Tin Bukic, in late 2022 after an almost two-decade long relationship. The retired tennis star recently sat down on the Mental As Anyone podcast where she opened up about how the demise of her relationship jeopardised her plans to start a family. 'I was in a relationship for almost 19 years from the age of 20 and right when we split up, we were about to start trying for a family,' she said. 'I actually think I would be a good mum to be honest, I love kids.' The former Wimbledon semi-finalist was born in 1983 in the former communist state Yugoslavia before resettling in Serbia and then arriving in Australia as a refugee in 1994. Dokic revealed that she was now planning to start a family as a 'single parent' and was open to exploring adoption. 'It is something I would like to do because I love kids,' she said. 'I didn't have the best experience (but) if I was let's say a single mum and adopted one day it would have all the love in the world.' The major update comes after Dokic revealed the harrowing family violence she suffered at the hands of her father and coach Damir Dokic in her memoir Unbreakable. The Aussie tennis star was just 16-years-old when she advanced to the semi-final at Wimbledon in 2000 and reached a peak of World No. 4 in 2002. 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. She retired in 2014 and turned to commentating tennis. 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.
News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Former tennis star Jelena Dokic drops huge baby news
Jelena Dokic has talked excitedly about the prospect of becoming a mother and her desire to adopt. Dokic, who turned 42 last month, is a beloved figure in Australian sport. The former world No. 4 tennis player survived physical and emotional abuse from her father Damir, along with cowardly online trolling over her appearance, to forge a successful career as a commentator and author. This week on the latest episode of the Mental As Anyone podcast, Dokic spoke about her love of children and the possibility of exploring adoption. Dokic and former partner Tin Bikic were together for almost 19 years before splitting up in early 2022. 'I think I would be a good mum to be honest, I love kids,' Dokic said. 'I'm 42 now, I don't think that that's going to happen for me. 'I was in a relationship for almost 19 years from the age of 20 and right when we split up, we were about to start trying for a family. 'Maybe one day. One day will I adopt? Possibly. It's something I would love to do because I love kids.' Dokic broke onto the tennis scene at just 16 years of age back in 1999 as a little known qualifier at Wimbledon, where she upset world No. 1 Martina Hingis before reaching the quarter-finals. The following year, she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon – her best grand slam result – but hidden behind the scenes was a dark story that would eventually derail her career. At the height of Dokic's tennis career, Damir made her turn her back on Australia and switch allegiances to Yugoslavia, which saw her booed at the Australian Open by Aussie fans. Her promising career deteriorated, with her father largely to blame, and it was only in recent years Dokic was able to reveal the true depths of her abuse. Discussing the prospect of motherhood, Dokic spoke bravely about concerns she could replicate some of her upbringing with a child of her own. But the six-time WTA tournament winner had an emphatic response for that possibility. 'Did I at one stage maybe think, I didn't have the best experience, and I know a lot of people with parents and having that childhood and what would that mean for me?' she said. 'Because I know a lot people that have been through family violence or abuse, domestic violence, however you want to frame it, they are worried about that, whether they would be the same. 'But for me, 100 per cent certainty, I can say 100 per cent, I know I wouldn't be (like my father). 'I love kids and I know even if I was a single mum to be honest and I adopted one day, it would have all the love in the world. 'I would love it to have a father as well, but I know I can give it absolutely everything and (it) would have all the love and support and I would be completely different. 'That would never, I could never, I could never be (like) that, ever. 'I always said I want to have kids, but I want to adopt. So that's a big wish of mine and passion and I hope to do it one day.'
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tennis legend Jelena Dokic shares shock baby news: 'I would be a bloody good mum'
Jelena Dokic has opened up about her desire to one day have children and admitted she is considering adoption. The Australian tennis legend, 42, has revealed she has a profound love for children and an unwavering commitment to providing a nurturing home. 'I actually think I would be a good mum to be honest, I love kids,' she told the Mental As Anyone podcast. She reflected on her lifelong dream of motherhood and how she is still optimistic about it despite significant hardship along the way. 'I don't think that that's going to happen for me. I was in a relationship for almost 19 years from the age of 20. When we split up, we were about to start trying for a family,' she said. Jelena announced her split from Tin Bikic in January last year and has remained single ever since. The retired athlete said she is confident she would be a great parent despite her difficult childhood with an abusive father. 'Even 15 years ago, when I was 25, I always said, I want to have kids, but I want adopt,' she admitted. 'Maybe it comes from when you grow up in a home that's fractured and with pain. You go, "Maybe I can give something different to a kid." 'I always wanted to do that for at least one kid in the world. That's a big wish of mine and I hope to do it one day. 'I know I can give it absolutely everything and would have all the love and support and I would be completely different. I just love kids so much. I know I would be a bloody good mum and I know I would give it the love of a million people.' She also made a heartbreaking admission about the years of abuse she suffered at the hands of her estranged father, Damir. The former tennis star admitted while she is unable to forgive her father, who she has not spoken to for over a decade, she still cannot bring herself to hate him. 'People say you have to forgive, not for your abuser or someone that caused you pain, but for yourself,' she said. She reflected on her lifelong dream of motherhood and how she is still optimistic about it despite significant hardship along the way 'But I'm not sure I agree with that because I don't necessarily have to forgive him to be able to move on. 'You have to accept the circumstances. Accepting that that was my life, the cards I'd been dealt, that's fine but I don't hate him. But I don't forgive him.' Jelena, who has since reinvented herself as a commentator and sports analyst, added that despite her ordeal and its ensuing aftermath, she does not want to be viewed as a victim. 'I want people to look at me not as a victim, I'm a survivor, but most importantly, thriver, a success story,' she said. 'I want people to go, 'you know, she did it, I can do it too'.' Jelena's revelation comes after she said she would suffer through '100 years of abuse' from her father if it meant she could undo her decision to turn her back on playing for Australia. She detailed the harrowing physical and mental abuse she suffered at the hands of her father in her 2017 autobiography Unbreakable. The book was subsequently adapted into a documentary, Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, which was released in cinemas in 2024. The documentary also aired on Channel Nine in January 2025.
7NEWS
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic still has dreams of being a mother
At 42 years of age, Australian tennis icon Jelena Dokic has no doubt she would make a great mum. Despite her own tumultuous upbringing as a child and a young woman that left her forever mentally scarred, Dokic says she has so much love to give. Dokic says she loves children and is even considering adoption. 'I actually think I would be a good mum, to be honest,' Dokic said on the podcast Mental As Anyone. 'I love kids.' But, despite that, Dokic sadly admits that her parenting dream may never be realised. 'I don't think that that's going to happen for me,' she said. 'I was in a relationship for almost 19 years from the age of 20 and right up to when we split up, we were about to start trying for a family.' Dokic ended her relationship with Tin Bikic in 2021. Since then she has rebuilt her life (she has previously stated that she was a mess after their 19-year romance ended) and undergone a huge transformation, both mentally and physically. The story about the abuse she suffered from her Serbian father Damir has also been detailed in the series Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story. But Dokic revealed that the abuse never crushed her maternal instincts. Surprisingly, she said it might have even nourished them. 'Even 15 years ago, when I was 25, I always said, 'I want to have kids, but I want to adopt',' she said. 'Maybe it comes from when you grow up maybe in a home that's fractured and with pain and you go, maybe I can give something different to a kid that I know maybe will have the same, or they won't have parents or something like that. 'So I always felt like I wanted to do that for at least one kid in the world. 'That's a big kind of wish of mine and passion and I hope to do it one day. 'Did I at one stage maybe think, I didn't have the best experience and know a lot of people with parents and having that childhood and what would that mean for me? 'Because I know a lot people that have been through family violence or abuse, domestic violence, however you want to frame it, they are worried about that, whether they would be the same or if there's something there.' Dokic said she would consider adopting a child, with or without a father. '(But I'd) love it to have a father as well,' she said. 'I know that I can give it absolutely everything and would have all the love and support and I would be completely different and … I could never be that (like my father) ever. 'I know that yes, obviously, it's a challenge, which I would love. I would embrace it and take it on. 'I just love kids so much. I know I would be a bloody good mum and I know I would give it the love in the world of a million people. 'I have so much love to give.'
